Five Years
by wencho17
Summary: A lot can change in five years and Finn Hudson knows that better than anyone. Sometimes dreams don't always work out and sometimes you find yourself back where you began, facing the girl you never stopped loving. Finn/Quinn/Puck/Rachel. Sequel is up now! Read this and then read: Five Years II
1. Five Years Prequel Part One

_**A/N: Hey all! Glad you stumbled upon this story and chose to read it despite the summary being horrible and cryptic. Trust me, the story does get better, a lot better. So anyway this is my third fic on this site and as I post at the beginning of all my fics, here are some things you should know going forward which might help you decide if this story or my stories in general are for you, because I don't want to waste your time with content that doesn't interest you. Nothing worse than reading a story just to realize it isn't going the direction you want it to half way in. Without spoiling my fics, I like to give my readers just a hint of what to expect, so that if you begin reading, you stick with me until the end and get the best experience you can out of my stories.**_

_**~ I do not own glee, nor any of the characters in it. For legal purposes, I am supposed to mention this.**_

_**~ The Finn/Quinn/Puck/Rachel dynamic is my main ship. Throughout my stories often these couples are together, break up, get back together and do so in a pattern of switching partners either Quick/Finchel or Puckleberry/Fuinn. I have been trying to include other characters but mostly my stories focus around these four.**_

_**~ Quinn is my favorite glee character and I love to explore her relationships with Puck and Finn and maybe at some point even Sam. Expect her in all of my stories to be with one or more of these guys as just like Edward and Jacob, I can't decide if I am team Finn or team Puck. Disclaimer: I do not watch twilight and am neither team Edward nor Jacob.**_

_**~ I try to write canon as best as I can because I appreciate glee and what RM has done. That being said, certain things I have to change. One of which is that in most of my stories, Quinn keeps Beth. Other than that I think I am pretty true to the script. I do include original almost deleted scenes however and will only write canon to a point. This story for example is canon all the way up to the events of "Rumors," again with the exception, that Quinn kept Beth. Anything in glee that happened after Rumors isn't how it goes down in this story, as with artistic freedom I changed a few things to fit my purpose in this story.**_

_**~ Be prepared for dialogue and lots of it. I think this is the best way to tell a story as you can actually write out interactions and conversations and not just say he thought or she wanted, etc.**_

_**~ I think all stories should end one of two ways: either a happy ending or a cliffhanger. That being said cliffhangers are for stories with planned sequels and all other stories should have happy endings. Whether you are Puckleberry, Quick, Finchel, Fuinn or other, all readers have the same thing in common, that you cheer for your favorite couple to finally get the happy ending. Although I can't promise you happiness in if your favorite pairing, (if only Quinn could be with both Puck and Finn…) getting together, I can promise you a happy ending for most if not all characters involved.**_

_**~ Yes I do give happy endings, but as readers of my past stories know, you are going to have to bear with me and experience a bit of angst along the way. I am not the kind of writer who thinks everything should come up roses the entire time, because honestly it isn't realistic and where is the fun in that? It isn't fun to write and in my experience, not fun to read. Don't let this turn you away from reading however because my stories as a result have a good amount of drama and some angst and plot twists you won't even believe. I suppose some of that comes from watching soap operas for too long, but I digress.**_

_**~ Reviews and input are always welcome whether words of praise or constructive criticism, it is all good! Although I will let you know upfront that typically when I post my stories it is only after I have fully finished or mostly finished writing them. I have changed things in the past when people had really good suggestions and am always open to change, but mostly the story will be pre-written. It is not that I don't love your feedback and input because I do and I hope this doesn't deter you from still leaving it, it is just this way I know I can get updates out (I try to get at least one out per day) to you as soon as possible. Personally, I am not a patient person and if I don't want to wait for new chapters, I am certainly not going to make you wait.**_

_**So if by now, this has not turned you away from reading this story, welcome! I am always happy to have new readers and can only hope that you enjoy reading this story as much as I did writing it. So without further ado, 5 Years.**_

It had been five years since Finn and his glee club classmates had graduated from McKinley but every time he passes by the school he can't help but think of the memories, both the good and bad. It always made him laugh when he thought of high school now. He thought it was crazy how so much can happen in only four years. He dated both Quinn and Rachel twice, lost his virginity to Santana of all people, got a new step dad and step brother, made new friends and lost old ones and found a newfound love for singing and dancing. Finn never expected to love glee club as much as he did and he really never expected it to take his life in so many different circles. A day didn't go by that he didn't think of how it all turned out.

_(5 years ago…)_

_It was five days before graduation day and every one was preparing to say their goodbyes to the school that had really become a family. Few would admit it, but glee club really was their little family and Mr. Schue was the father figure to them all. He helped them accept who they were and encouraged all of them to be themselves and to pursue their interests, even if those interests involved glee club. He made Finn especially feel comfortable in glee club which was something Finn would never forget. Because of Mr. Schue, Finn and each of his glee classmates became the people they are today. As they all got ready to leave McKinley and embark on new adventures, they decided to give Mr. Schue one final goodbye._

_Every one of the kids decided to prepare for Mr. Schue a little glee medley as a reminder of what he did for them. They wanted to do something special and they figured that singing and dancing would be the best way to honor what Mr. Schue did for them. Their idea was a group presentation and they had been meeting in the choir room to rehearse for weeks. Today was their final rehearsal before graduation and they took the opportunity to make sure everything was perfect._

_This was the last time Finn saw Quinn. She came up to him after rehearsal. The two of them were the only ones left in the room and she decided this was the best opportunity to talk to him._

_The two of them hadn't exactly been on speaking terms ever since he broke up with her to date Rachel. It wasn't just the breakup that contributed to their strained relationship but rather the fallout that resulted. When Finn told her that he was breaking up with her she was devastated. He told her that he loved her but that he wasn't over Rachel. He said that he couldn't continue to date her all the while knowing that he loved someone else. She was heartbroken but she knew it was coming. Even when they were together, he always seemed to be thinking about Rachel. Quinn knew she was never enough for him and that no matter what she did she never would be. _

_Despite all of this however, Quinn tried to break with Finn amicably. It was all going so well until he said the one thing that made the breakup harder than it had to be. He said that he tried to love her but he couldn't get Rachel off of his mind and that maybe what Rachel said was right. Quinn asked what exactly Rachel said and Finn told her that Rachel told him, you will forgive your first love anything. He then said to Quinn that maybe Rachel was his first love. Quinn was crushed. She loved Finn and knew that he loved her too. She was convinced she was his first love but what really bothered her was that he didn't forgive her and that he was so willing to deny their love. He told her he had forgiven her, but by saying this it was clear, he never forgave her for her actions sophomore year and that he would never. Quinn told him she was glad they were breaking up because something about it all just didn't seem right anymore. _

_After that they hadn't really talked to each other anymore. Occasionally she would see him in the hallway and they would exchange nods or even rarer 'hello's' and sometimes in glee they talked about glee related business, but ever since the day of the breakup they never really talked which is why when Quinn came up to him after glee, Finn was surprised to say the least._

"_Hey Finn?" she asked him as he began packing up his belongings. _

"_Yeah Quinn?" he said, smiling back at her._

"_This is really great; I mean what we are doing for Mr. Schue. This was a great idea by you and, and by Rachel," Quinn said, biting her lip at the sound of that name._

"_Yeah, thanks," Finn said. "After everything that Mr. Schue did for all of us, I think it is the least we can do."_

_Quinn nodded in agreement. She began to walk out the door but realized this might be the last chance she had to talk to him and decided to stay and say what she could._

"_Finn?" she questioned again as she turned around to face her ex._

"_Yeah Quinn?" he answered again._

"_Can I ask you something?" she said as she rubbed her fingers through her silk blonde hair. He always found it cute when she did that._

"_Anything," he replied with a smile. "What is on your mind?"_

"_Were you being serious when you told me that Rachel was your first love?" she questioned with a serious look in her eyes._

_He looked up from his sheet music to look into her hazel eyes. They looked so sad but at the same time so endearing. He didn't expect her to ask him this so he scanned his mind looking for the right thing to say._

"_Quinn, it's, it's complicated," he began. "I mean I was with you for two years and we really were the power couple of McKinley. I mean head cheerleader and starting quarterback, we really were the perfect cliché." He paused realizing that this answer was not getting him anywhere. "But, we were more than that too," he quickly added as he saw her face fill with sadness and her eyes well with tears. She just needed to hear the words but for some reason he was avoiding saying them. "Then with Rachel," he continued, "things just kind of, I don't know they just kind of happened. I never intended to become involved with her but she was sweet and emotional and I always knew what was on her mind. She was never afraid to let me into her heart and there was just something…"_

_Finn was interrupted before he could continue. _

"_something she had that I didn't" Quinn finished for him. She was so upset now, even more upset then when Finn broke up with her both times. _

_Quinn grabbed her bag off of the piano bench and began to head for the door._

"_Where are you going?" Finn asked._

"_Home," she replied. "I asked you if Rachel was your first love, and well, you gave me my answer."_

_She turned to head toward the door but stopped before grabbing the handle. She turned to face Finn. "I loved you Finn," she said. "You were my first love. I know our relationship wasn't perfect and maybe it was just one big cliché, but I really did love you and part of me always will because you never forget your first love." She began to cry a little bit but wiped the tears from her eyes so she could continue. "For what it's worth," she said with her back now facing him, "I am sorry. I am really sorry for everything I did to you. I know I've said it a million times and I know that no matter how many times I say it, you aren't going to forgive me, but, but," she stopped as she felt the tears streaming down her face. She paused to regain her composure and then continued, "but, I just need you to know anyway," she said before grabbing the door handle and beginning to walk out. She was stopped however by an all too familiar touch._

"_Quinn, wait," Finn said. He was now standing right in front of her, with his hand on her arm. He turned her to face him and took her hands in his own. "I am the one who should be sorry," he said. "I lied to you before and I lied to you just now. Yes, I do love Rachel but it is in a different way than from how I love you. Quinn, you are my first love. You always have been from the moment I first met you and always will be until the day that I die. If I ever made you feel otherwise then I sincerely apologize." He smiled as he wiped a tear from her face and stroked her cheek softly. "Quinn, I forgave you a long time ago," he added. "I never thought I would be able to but I did. I thought that every single time I looked into little Beth's eyes, all I would see was your betrayal but that is not at all what I see. I see a miracle and one that looks just like you. All I see when I look into that little girl's eyes is love and although I am heartbroken by the fact that I am not her daddy, I don't hate you because Puck is the dad. I forgive you Quinn and I love you and always will but I think we are better off as friends." _

_He pulled her in close for a hug which felt like it lasted forever. She smiled at him and kissed him on the cheek thanking him for telling her what she needed to hear. As she grabbed her belongings to leave she gave him a quick goodbye wave and he reciprocated._

_**This was the last time he saw Quinn Fabray.**_

Finn smiled just at the thought of Quinn. He decided that he was going to look her up. He knew that she went to college locally so that she could stay in Lima to raise Beth, but he was unsure where exactly she was living. He hadn't seen her since that day in glee and he thought that a nice friendly visit would do both of them some good.

As he continued to drive home, he passed none other than Rachel Berry's house. Well it was actually her dad's house and Finn knew she hadn't lived there since going to NYU and moving to New York. Still, every time he passed the house, he thought about the other girl that got away.

**So what do you guys think?**

**A/N: As I read back through I realized this is canon up until "Rumors." The whole break-up in "Funeral" about not being tethered to her and the prom queen comments that made Quinn look like a bitch either didn't happen or I didn't use it. Probably just didn't use it, because I hated how that scene made it look like Quinn didn't care and that she only dated Finn because of the stupid prom queen stuff. Not a fan of what RM is doing with her character now either, making her crazy, but hopefully all of that is over now. Sorry for the ramble haha.**


	2. Prequel Part Two

**A/N: Something I decided to do in my last story was respond to all of my reviews. If you guys are nice enough to take time to leave them, I owe you equal respect in taking time to comment to them. With unsigned reviews however this is a bit more difficult so in order to still respond to them, I do it at the beginning of each chapter.**

**Chiquiada: Thanks for the review! Glad you liked it and are intrigued for the rest haha.**

**SS: Thanks for the review and so happy you love the story- it will continue!**

(5 years ago…)

Finn had decided to spend some of the money he earned while working at the grocery store to surprise Rachel in New York. It was winter break of their freshmen year in college and the two hadn't seen each other since he left for football camp at USC. Finn had to leave Ohio in around July so the time the two had during summer was cut short. When he left, they decided to try a long distance relationship.

Long distance relationships are hard enough without the extra pressure that was put on both of them by their respective college careers. Occasionally they would talk on the phone but the time difference didn't help with that. Also, Finn was swamped with football practice and homework that he rarely ever got a chance to call or text Rachel.

That is why he decided he would use the break to go surprise Rachel. He missed her but he also knew that long distance wasn't exactly working well. He thought that if he saw her, he would understand what he was waiting for and why he was still in the relationship.

When he arrived in New York, the taxi took him to NYU's campus where he patiently waited at the dorms until Rachel was done her classes. He got her roommate to let him wait in the room and when Rachel saw him there she was definitely surprised. They hugged and talked for about fifteen minutes before Rachel told Finn she had to go. She had been cast in an off-Broadway play and today started auditions. He told her he would wait for her but she confessed that she wouldn't be back until late.

He only had three days to spend in New York before coach wanted him back for practice and during those three days Rachel had practice and her job and homework over the break. As they both discussed how they didn't have time to hang out, Finn reminded Rachel that the next time he would see her then wouldn't be until summer. At this thought, both of them decided to have a talk about their relationship. They decided long distance was not the best idea and that right now both were too busy to be in any relationship, let alone one with the pressures of being miles apart from each other. Before she left, Finn gave her a hug and they kissed one last time. He told her that if she was single three years from now when they were both out of college, he would be happy to pick up the relationship again. She told him the same went for him before they parted ways.

_**This was the last time Finn saw Rachel Berry.**_

The only problem Finn thought, as he continued his drive home, was that she wasn't single. It had been five years since they broke up and unfortunately for him his hope of them both being single after college wasn't to be. A few months after he and Rachel broke up she began dating a friend of hers from NYU and two years later the two got married. Rachel never came home to Lima except when she wanted to visit her dads. Her life was in New York and that life did not include Finn.

Rachel wasn't the only one in a relationship though. Finn also began dating a classmate of his during his four years at USC. She was a cheerleader for the Trojans and by senior year she was head cheerleader. By senior year he was also the Trojans starting Quarterback. He laughed whenever he thought about the irony. He broke up with Quinn just to date another cheerleader in college and just to resurrect the old high school cliché he so wished to avoid. Finn and Megan dated on and off for four years and he even thought about proposing to her but the two had differences which in the end couldn't be reconciled and they broke up.

Finn always thought the breakup was because of long distance. After USC, he got drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals. He was drafted twenty-fifth overall in the first round and was so excited to be going home to Ohio to play football. Megan on the other hand would be staying in California where she got a job as a dancer for the LA Lakers. Finn already knew long distance relationships didn't work and Megan having already been in a failed long distance relationship herself didn't even seem to want to try. Although both clearly loved each other, they parted ways.

As he drove past the park where he took both Quinn and Rachel, he couldn't help but think of the irony of his situation. "I broke up with Quinn and the cliché of head cheerleader and quarterback just to date a cheerleader and break up with her because of long distance like I did Rachel," Finn said to himself. He laughed at just how messed up that was. No matter where he went or what he did, he always seemed to have those two girls on his mind. He smiled as he continued to drive home passing various places where he had memories of both Quinn and Rachel.

When Finn got home he was exhausted. He threw his keys on the table and crashed on the couch. He had to be up at 5 am sharp tomorrow and knew that if there was any chance of that happening he needed sleep.

**A/N: Just a little background as to why Finn and Rachel broke up. More about Finn's past five years will be revealed in coming chapters. Stay tuned!**


	3. Prequel Part Three

As soon as he walked into the precinct the next morning, he was greeted with a familiar voice.

"Morning Finn," Puck said as he greeted his best friend.

"Morning Puck," Finn replied. "Is Captain Banks here yet?"

"Nope," Puck smiled. "I got to tell you, I've been waiting for this day. He always talks about how he is never late." Puck then stood on his chair and began to imitate his boss. "In my twenty-three years working for this precinct Mr. Puckerman, I have never been late a day in my life," he said before being interrupted.

"And I am not about to start now," replied Captain Banks who had just walked in the door. "And look at that," he said. "Still only 5:59 am which according to my watch, means I am one minute early, Mr. Puckerman."

Puck was immediately taken down a notch. He quickly got off the chair and apologized to his captain. Finn just laughed. Puck always was a smart ass but despite that he was one of the best cops Finn had ever seen. He always took his job seriously and he was so intimidating he could get a confession out of almost anybody. Finn remembered the first time he encountered Officer Noah Puckerman.

_(Flashback)_

_It was two years after Finn and Puck graduated from McKinley and both had gone totally separate ways. Finn went off to USC on a football scholarship and Puck had stayed in Lima to work at his uncle's mechanic shop. He worked there for about a year before his uncle was killed in the middle of a drive by. Puck decided after that day that he would dedicate his life to trying to find out who shot his uncle. He enrolled in the academy and became a homicide detective._

_Finn was home for a few days when USC was facing off against Ohio State in a bowl game. A few of his buddies from the team went out for drinks and it didn't take long until things went out of hand. Finn had a few beers but some of his teammates were completely hammered. One of them decided it would be fun to go visit Quinn. Finn had told the boys about his two loves many times. He happened to mention that Quinn still lived in Ohio and that he even considered looking her up and stopping by for a visit. Finn's buddies took that as a challenge. _

_He tried to convince them not to mess with Quinn but one of his buddies wasn't really listening. Finn ended up getting into a fight with the guy which ended with a few chairs being thrown and Finn being pushed through the bar window. The bartender called the cops and within fifteen minutes of the incident Puck and his partner were on scene._

_Puck's partner got a call from dispatch and had to leave. He told Puck that the other guy from the brawl had gone missing but there was one still sitting outside._

"_He was pushed through the window and seems to be hurt pretty badly," Puck's partner said. "I have to go but I put him in the squad car. He was insisting that he didn't need to go to the hospital."_

"_Thanks Eric," Puck said. "I'll take it from here."_

_Puck headed into the squad car and didn't even bother to look at who was sitting in the back seat. Finn was a little buzzed so he didn't recognize the cop at first but once he heard him speak he knew it was Puck._

"_So hotshot, what the heck were you doing that ended with you being pushed through a window?" Puck questioned as he began driving to the station._

"_You should see the other guy," Finn smiled._

"_Wise guy, huh?" Puck said. "You know I used to be a bad ass too and it didn't really get me anywhere. We need to bring this other guy in and figure out what happened with this dispute. Then I'll decide if we need to arrest anyone. Do you know who pushed you?"_

"_Yeah," Finn said, "his name is Josh Rachett. He is the wide receiver for the USC Trojans. We are in town to play Ohio State in a bowl game."_

"_I don't really follow football anymore," Puck said. "I used to play in high school but I never went to college and," Puck paused realizing that he was pretty much telling his whole life story to some guy he just met. "Besides," he added, "wide receivers are always prima donnas. I'm going to ask you again, do you know the reason why this guy pushed you?"_

"_I told my buddy about a girl I used to date in high school. She lives in Lima and I was thinking about looking her up to say hello to her and her daughter but then I decided not to. My buddy thought it would be funny to go anyway. I tried to talk him out of it but he pushed me and we got into the fight. I grabbed the chair and then he pushed me through the window," Finn said._

"_That sucks man," Puck said as he sympathized with the man in his back seat. "I'll tell you what, it seems like you are innocent in all of this. If your friend started the dispute then he is the one we should be bringing in. I just need you to come down to the station and write up a full report, and then you can go back to your football." Puck paused before saying one last thing to the guy. "This girl you are talking about," he began, "sounds like someone I knew but no, never mind it can't be," he trailed off. _

"_Actually," Finn said with a smile, "I'm pretty confident she is the same girl, Puck."_

_After hearing his name, he turned around to see none other than Finn Hudson in the back of his patrol car._

"_Finn?" he said, "Finn Hudson?"_

"_In the flesh," Finn replied._

"_I haven't seen you since high school," Puck said, still shocked that he was on the way to the station with his old friend in the back. As he thought about Finn and all he could ask him after not seeing him in two years, one thought immediately crossed his mind._

"_Wait," Puck said. "That must mean that the girl you are talking about is Quinn." He paused after saying her name._

"_Yup," Finn said, "I was talking about Quinn. I wasn't going to let any of my buddies mess with her, but I'm sure you would have been the same way."_

_Puck listened to what Finn said but didn't respond for a few minutes._

"_Puck, did you hear me?" Finn asked. "I'm sure you would have done the same thing."_

"_We're here," Puck told his friend. "We can go in and have someone take your statement and then this whole thing will be over and you can go back home or probably you should go to a hospital and get checked out." Puck had ignored Finn's comments about Quinn._

_Ever since sophomore year when Puck slept with Quinn and got her pregnant the relationship between the two boys was never the same. Finn was able to forgive Puck and they even became friends again but the one thing they never talked about was Quinn. It was a topic that reminded both of the past and always brought up unresolved feelings. In fact conversation topics mostly were about sports, glee or guy stuff. They rarely ever talked about girls. For this reason, it was no surprise that Puck dodged Finn's comments on Quinn. _

_It wasn't until later that Finn found out the other reason why Quinn was a touchy subject when it came to Puck._

_After they got to the station, Puck helped Finn write up his report and then offered to give his friend a ride to the hospital. Finn told him thanks but no thanks and that he was fine. Puck dropped him off at the bar so he could pick up his car and the two parted ways._

_**This was the last time Finn saw Noah Puckerman until they began working together.**_

**A/N: A little bit more about Finn and now Puck's past. Quinn's is coming soon!**


	4. From the Past to the Present

**So as it turns out Christmas has come early this year and I found my flashdrive! I wanted to thank you all for sticking with me through this and sorry again for the lack of updates. As I've said before, I'm not patient and I hate making people have to wait when I hate waiting myself. I know this is a busy time of year so I can't promise I'll have a chapter a day until maybe after Christmas but as I said, Christmas came early and for making you wait, here is not one, not two, but three chapters!**

**Happy holidays, Happy Chanukah and Merry Christmas to all! **

**Liiiihhhhh: glad you like the story and thanks for the review!**

**AD: Hey- glad to have you back reviewing and glad you found the story lol. I know this time of year gets super busy! Thanks for the review as always!**

As Finn remembered the events of that day he couldn't help but think that everything that happened changed the course of his life. He had gone back to the team hotel after the bar incident and got totally reamed out by his coach. Both he and Josh were suspended and unable to play in the bowl game. Although he was only a sophomore not playing in the bowl game was huge. A lot of pro prospects were there and it didn't look good that star quarterback Finn Hudson was on the bench for what the coach called "disciplinary reasons." Immediately, Finn's draft stock began to drop for what scouts called off the field issues.

That wasn't his biggest problem though. After being pushed through the bar window Finn had a lot of pain in his left leg for about a week. His mom convinced him to go to the doctor to get it checked out but Finn refused. The pain continued for another week and he decided to have the team doctor look at his leg. The doctor told him that he tore his ACL and that it would be awhile before it healed enough that he could play football again. As a result, Finn missed half of his junior season at SC. His draft stock again went down but this time it was due to a lingering ACL injury. Ever since he first injured it, his knee never really went back to normal and he was constantly having to rehab it.

As a result of the bar incident, Finn dropped to the twenty-fifth overall pick. He did get to go to the Bengals however which put him right back in Ohio but it wasn't long until his dream of playing professional football was over. During a preseason game against the New England Patriots, Finn got sacked pretty badly and wasn't able to get up. He was taken out of the game and then given the news that it was his ACL. With a knee injury that didn't seem like it was ever going to go away, Finn was forced to give up his dream of playing professional football. Instead, now that he was back in Ohio, Finn decided to move back to Lima and become a cop. His father was a cop and he always wanted to be one when he grew up. It was kind of a backup if football didn't work out and Finn soon found himself at the same precinct as Puck.

Finn continued to think about his past until his boss called him and Puck into his office.

"What's up captain?" Puck asked.

"Boys, I have some news," Captain Banks said. "Sergeant John Becker will be on loan to the FBI for about six months or until how ever long they need him to break their case."

"Wow," Finn said. "Becker is one of our best."

"That is why the FBI wants him," Banks responded.

"Becker is my partner," Puck reminded his captain. "Does this mean I get a new partner?"

"You're looking at him," Banks said. "Puckerman, Hudson, I want you two to be partners."

The boys looked at each other. "Seriously captain?" Finn asked.

"I have never been more serious in my life," Banks responded. "I know you are new to the force Hudson but Puckerman is one of our best detectives and I think you could learn a lot from him."

Puck smiled upon hearing that Finn could learn from him. He was always used to teaching his best friend the ropes when it came to girls, being cool and even playing football.

"I'm happy to take Hudson and teach the rook everything he needs to know," Puck said as he slapped Finn on the back. "He has kind of always been like a little brother to me anyway," Puck added. "I promise I'll watch out for him, captain."

"Good," Banks said. "I expect that you two will show nothing but professionalism. Now get back to work," Banks said as he dismissed his two cops.

Finn and Puck both left Captain Banks' office and headed out to their desks where a day's worth of cases awaited them.

"So partners, huh?" Finn said as he looked at Puck. "We haven't been partners since well, since sophomore year."

"Yeah, it has been awhile hasn't it," Puck said. "I've missed it, you know, being your partner."

"Me too, Officer Puckerman, me too," Finn said smiling at his friend.

"Oh shut up," Puck said as he couldn't help but smile back at his friend. "Come on, we have cases to handle."

"Sounds good, big bro," Finn said laughing.

"What?" Puck said. "I have always kind of thought of you as a little brother, even when things weren't great between us."

"I guess in a way I always thought of you as a big brother too," Finn admitted. "I never wanted a big brother," he added as he continued to smile and laugh at his friend.

Puck just slapped him on the arm as the two of them headed to the squad car.

"First stop is across town," Puck said as he plugged the address into his GPS. "Captain wants us to interview this witness."

"Sounds good," Finn said. "I'll drive."

"Alright," Puck said as he stretched out in the passenger seat.

After interviewing the witness and getting some vital information, the boys headed to get lunch. They were on their way to Breadsticks when dispatch came in with a call.

_Attention patrol car 7, 48, 15 and 89; we have an emergency on 122__nd__ West Highland Avenue. There was a severe car accident involving four cars. All units are called to respond to the scene immediately._

"Let's go Finn," Puck said. "West Highland is only a few streets away."

**A/N: So I was playing around a bit with a close Finn/Puck friendship here and I think it works so I'll probably keep them relatively close unless or rather until Quinn comes back into the picture. Let's just say both boys still have feelings for the HBIC…**


	5. Daddy's Little Girl

Finn drove to the site as fast as he could. When they got there, both boys ran out of the car and began to investigate the scene.

It was a four car pileup and three of the four cars were totally totaled. Finn and Puck began to check the people in the cars to see if they were alive when Finn heard a small voice coming from one of the flipped cars.

"Help me, help" came a small and faint voice.

"Is someone in there?" Finn called as he thought he heard something.

"In here," cried the voice again. "I'm stuck, I need help."

Finn realized he wasn't hearing things and immediately went to the passenger side door to tend to the little girl. She looked to be about 6 or 7 and she had beautiful blonde hair. She didn't look to be too badly hurt.

"I'm here sweetie, you are going to be okay," Finn said as he tried to reassure the little girl.

"I'm okay but it's my mommy who needs help," said the girl. "I keep telling her to wake up but she isn't waking up and I'm scared." The girl began to cry.

"It's okay," Finn said to the little girl through the window. "My name is Finn. I'm going to go check on your mommy okay." Finn went to check the other side of the car but the little girl stopped him.

"Please don't leave me Finn," she said.

"I'm going to go get my friend and he'll stay with you, okay?" Finn said.

The girl nodded and Finn called Puck over to sit with her while he checked on her mother. As soon as Puck came to the girl's window, Finn went over to the driver's side of the car. The door was damaged pretty badly and Finn knew that if this little girl's mother was still alive, she would need to be rescued quickly. Finn broke the cracked window so that he was able to open the door. He cut the seat belt off of the woman before coming to a stunning realization.

The woman was blonde and what seemed like a little over 5 feet tall. He couldn't tell for sure. Her face was so badly cut that Finn couldn't recognize the features but when he cut the seatbelt off, he noticed the woman was wearing a necklace that looked all too familiar to him. When he looked closer, he was able to read the inscription.

"_You have my heart and we'll never be worlds apart. All my love, always and forever on our anniversary."_

Finn was crushed. He held the necklace in his hands for a few seconds thinking about when he gave it to Quinn.

Now he was devastated as he saw Quinn lying there helpless. He stroked her hair softly and then gently moved his hand to her cheek.

"Can I get some help over here," he screamed as he tended to his ex-girlfriend. "Someone call 911." He continued to sit with Quinn until another cop came over.

"Please help her," Finn told his buddy. "She is breathing but just barely. She needs to go to the hospital."

"I'll do what I can," the cop said as he called for his partner to help load Quinn into the ambulance that just arrived. Finn waited until she was on the stretcher before he remembered the little girl in the back.

"Oh my gosh Beth," he said as he ran to the back of the car.

As soon as the little girl saw him, she immediately began to speak. "Did you check on my mom? Is she okay?" the girl asked. The look in her eyes almost broke his heart. She was waiting for him to say that everything was okay but he couldn't lie to her, not to Beth.

"Sweetie, your mom is hurt pretty bad, but they are taking her to the hospital and she is going to be okay," he said. "She has to be."

Beth wiped the tears from her eyes. "Okay," she said as brave as she could. "I have to be brave for mommy," she said. "Mommy always told me daddy was brave and that I was brave like daddy, so I'm going to be brave." The little girl smiled.

Finn almost melted. Not only did the little girl look just like Quinn but she also had the same exact mannerisms.

"Okay baby girl," Puck said as he smiled at the little girl, "we're going to get you out of here, okay. I'm going to count to three and on three we're going to pull you out okay?"

She nodded.

"Here we go, 1-2-3," Puck said as he pulled his daughter out of the car. He held her close and she gave him a big hug. He put her down and gave her a high five. Both he and Finn saw that she could walk which was a very good sign. She actually didn't look to be hurt too much which was such a relief for Finn.

"You were so brave sweetheart," Puck said as he gave the little girl another hug. It broke Finn's heart to see that his best friend still didn't recognize the girl he was talking to.

She smiled when he told her she was brave. "Brave like daddy," she said with her hand on her hip.

"Brave like daddy," he replied with a laugh.

Finn couldn't take it anymore. "Okay sweetie," he said. "My friend Puck and I are going to drive you to the hospital so you can be with your mommy, ok?"

"As long as you promise you'll stay with me," Beth said to Finn.

"I promise," he replied. "I have to talk to Puck for a minute but you wait right here."

The little girl smiled as Finn pulled Puck over to talk to him.

"I'm so glad she is okay," Puck said. "Just seeing her reminds me of Beth. She's about that age now." He kicked a rock as Finn weakly smiled at him. "How's her mom?" Puck asked.

"She's not good and I don't know if she is going to make it," Finn said as he tried to keep himself from crying. "Puck, I have to tell you something," he said.

"What is it Finn?" Puck asked as he saw how serious Finn was.

"Puck the reason why that little girl reminded you of Beth was because," Finn paused for a moment, "was because she is Beth and the woman driving the car is Quinn. Before you ask if I am positive, I am because she was wearing the necklace I gave her for our anniversary."

A few minutes went by and Puck didn't say anything. He just looked at Finn stunned.

"Puck did you hear me?" Finn said. "That little girl over there is your little girl. It's Beth."

"I, I've got to go Finn," Puck said. "Just umm call me if you hear anything." Puck began to head to his squad car.

"Puck, where the hell are you going?" Finn asked. "Aren't you coming to the hospital? Your daughter is going to need you."

"I'm sorry Finn," Puck said as he opened the car door. "I just can't do this, I can't. She's not my daughter. She hasn't been since the day she's been born. I haven't been a father to her and I just can't do this Finn. You don't get it, but I can't be there, I have to go." Puck hurriedly got into the car and left. Finn watched as he drove away but realized that he needed to focus on Quinn and her little girl right now.

**A/N: So what do you think about this chapter? Why is that Puck would just leave like that when he knew Quinn and Beth needed him? Why did Puck say she wasn't his daughter? I'm curious to see what you guys think and in a few chapters the truth will be revealed!**


	6. Who is to Blame?

"Hey sweetie," Finn said as he came back to where Beth was sitting.

"Hi Mister Finn," Beth sweetly said. "Where's Mister Puck?" she asked with that same sweet smile.

"He had to go do something," Finn said as he saw the disappointment in the little girl's eyes.

"Aww," she said. "I really liked him. He helped me to be brave."

Finn smiled at the little girl. "I know he likes you too, very much," he said which made Beth's smile return.

"You won't leave me too?" she asked after she realized Puck wasn't coming back.

"I promise, I won't leave," Finn said. "How about we ride in the ambulance with mommy?" he suggested to which the little girl nodded yes. "Come here," he said picking her up into his arms. "Let's go see your mommy," he said as he carried Beth to the ambulance.

"She's awake," Finn's cop buddy said when he saw Finn and the little girl heading toward the van. "They said they need to take her to the hospital now though so if you are riding with her, you have to go now."

"Thanks Bryan," Finn said as he told his friend to go back to the precinct and explain the situation to their boss.

Still holding Beth, Finn climbed into the ambulance and sat down next to Quinn. He put the little girl on his lap and grabbed Quinn's hand. She immediately turned her head and opened her eyes at the sight of the touch. She saw her little girl.

"Beth," she said. "Are you okay sweetie?"

"I'm fine mama," the little girl exclaimed proudly. "Mister Finn and Mister Puck helped me to be brave like daddy."

Quinn then looked to see her little girl sitting on Finn's lap.

"Finn," she said as she gave him a weak smile.

"I'm here Quinn," he said as he rubbed her hand. "I'm here."

"What happened?" she asked him.

"Well you were in a pretty bad car accident and that is about all I know. We won't know the extent of your injuries until we get to the hospital. Oh and Quinn," Finn said, "Beth is fine. She has a broken arm but I think that is it. She really is a trooper Quinn."

Quinn looked down at her little girl who was nestled in Finn's lap. For a second Quinn thought about what could have been had Beth been Finn's. This was the image that would last in her mind because for that moment everything was perfect. Quinn was quiet for a few minutes as she just enjoyed Finn's company but then she remembered her baby's real father.

"You said Puck was here?" Quinn asked Finn.

"Yeah," Finn said. "Puck and I are actually partners for the police force and we got the call to come down here. He sat with Beth while I called the ambulance and he helped her get out of the car. Even before he realized it was Beth, he was so sweet and kind with her. He told me she reminded him of Beth."

"Mister Puck helped me to be brave," Beth remarked as she awoke from her nap. "I told him that you wanted me to be brave like daddy and he helped me." After interjecting she immediately closed her eyes again and went back to sleep.

Quinn began to cry at the thought of her daughter and her little girl's father both with each other and neither of them knowing who the other was. The fact that Puck helped Quinn to be brave like her daddy and without him even knowing that he was the daddy she wanted to be brave like just made it all worse for Quinn. She felt horrible that Beth didn't know who her dad was and she felt horrible that Puck wasn't around to see their little girl grow up.

"Is he still here?" Quinn asked.

"No, he umm he had to leave. It was police business," Finn said as he tried to hide the fact that he was lying.

"It's my fault he left," Quinn said. "I pushed him away. He tried to be there for me and Beth during my pregnancy but I pushed him away because, well because I only wanted you. After you found out the truth, I wanted to do everything by myself. Even after Beth was born, I continued to push him away. I guess he got tired of it because about six months after I had Beth, he stopped trying. He was distant and didn't really come around me or the baby anymore. I got what I wanted but at the same time, hated that I was the reason my baby was going to grow up without a father. When I told him I wanted him to be in Beth's life when she turned two, he turned me down saying it was too late. I know he'll always love his little girl but I pushed him away for so long, I can't blame him for not wanting to be a father. I screwed everything up again Finn. First I ruined your life and then I took Puck's baby away. I just, I just," Quinn began to cry again and she started to struggle to breathe.

"Shh," Finn said. "You need your rest. Don't say anything else to upset yourself. You don't need that. We can talk about this later okay." She nodded and then closed her eyes.

"Finn," she said, as she opened her eyes. "Thanks for taking care of my little girl."

Finn looked down at the sleeping child in his lap and kissed her on the forehead. He then leaned over and kissed Quinn on the forehead. "It's no problem Quinn," he said as he smiled at the two girls. "It is my pleasure."

**A/N: So I just realized, I make Finn like the nicest, sweetest person on the face of the planet in my stories as those of you who read my previous two already know haha. But anyway, what did you guys think of this chapter? Truth is out as to why Puck walked away but do you think he was justified? Should he have stopped trying, should he have come back when Quinn wanted him back? Thoughts? I'm curious to hear what you guys think before you learn of what Puck was thinking in a few chapters!**

**Hope you all liked the three updates!**


	7. Won't Let You Go

**A/N: So my beautiful lighted, garlanded and ornamented Christmas tree went up about five days ago and then two days ago, it came crashing down. I haven't been on my computer in about three days because of having to re-decorate the tree and shop so that is why I haven't had any new updates. Sorry!**

**Ll: Thanks for the review- glad you love the story! I actually like your idea a lot but the problem is I write to canon. Even if I had wanted Finn to be Beth's real father, writing to canon doesn't allow that to happen. It definitely is an interesting idea though.**

**Shout out to cassdsassyangel because your thoughts about why Puck left, I'll say this: let's just say he definitely is getting caught up in his feelings but it is more than that. It is more than the possibility of him still having feelings for Quinn or feelings of regret over leaving. These feelings are actually the ones that made him leave in the first place. Cryptic enough for you? haha**

The rest of the hospital ride was a quiet one. Beth was sleeping quietly in Finn's lap and Quinn was resting. Finn made sure she kept breathing and held her hand the whole time. The whole time he kept thinking about Puck. His best friend never told him what exactly went down between him and Quinn but now he knew why Puck never wanted to talk about Quinn or the baby. He felt bad for Puck but at the same time didn't understand how he could ever leave.

"I would have stayed," Finn whispered to Beth. "If you were my little girl, I wouldn't have let anyone push me away. No matter how many times your mama told me to go away, I wouldn't have listened. I just can't believe that Puck did."

Finn sighed as he kissed the little girl again. He kept trying to wrap his head around why Puck would leave. He wanted to ask him but he knew that ever since high school, the baby was a topic that he and Puck never spoke of. It wasn't that it was too fresh but rather that it hurt both of them. Finn would always be hurt knowing that the little girl he loved and cared for, for five months wasn't his and now he knew that it hurt Puck because he gave her up.

Finn continued to contemplate everything until they got to the hospital. Beth instantly woke up and clung to Finn for dear life. He carried her into the entry way and made sure that a doctor was there to examine her. When he made sure the little girl was safe and protected, he went straight to Quinn's side.

"Finn," she whispered. "Please don't leave my little girl."

"She is in with the doctor right now, okay Quinn," he said as he tried to reassure her. "Beth is going to be just fine but right now you need someone more than she does."

"I don't need anyone," Quinn pleaded with him. "Please, please just go and make sure my daughter is okay."

"Quinn, she is perfect," Finn said as he lightly stroked Quinn's cheek. "Right now, you need me more than her."

"Finn," she said again. "Will you stay with me?"

"I'm not going anywhere Quinn," he said as he grabbed her hand.

"Thank you," she murmured before closing her eyes. As Finn continued to sit with her as they prepared the operating room, he could hear Quinn's breathing slow down.

"Quinn, Quinn can you hear me?" he asked. "Come on Quinn, open your eyes if you can hear me."

He waited a few seconds and nothing. At this point he could barely hear her breathing.

"I need a doctor over here, she isn't breathing," Finn screamed.

The doctor came over and brought a crash cart. "She's crashing," he said. "Panels stat."

Finn watched helplessly as the doctors pushed panels against Quinn's chest. All he could hear was the doctor saying "clear", for what felt like a million times. The words revolved around his head as he waited for Quinn to wake up.

"One last time," he heard the doctor say as they pushed the panels up against Quinn's heart for the last time. He couldn't watch.

"Quinn, Quinn, are you with me," he heard the doctor say after the last panel. Finn didn't hear anything from Quinn but he saw her open her eyes and nod her head. "Thank God," Finn said quietly as he thought that he was not going to let Beth lose her mother.

The doctors immediately rushed Quinn into surgery as Finn looked on. He waited for a few minutes before receiving a call from his boss.

"Hudson, where the hell are you?" Banks screamed through the phone.

"There was a car accident," Finn said. "The mom was badly hurt so I rode with her daughter to the hospital."

"That's not your job Hudson," Banks said as he sounded pretty mad. "Let the doctors take care of the girl. I need you back at the precinct now."

"But Captain," Finn said before being interrupted.

"Don't but captain me Hudson. Get your ass back here now. This isn't a personal day and there are cases that need to be worked on," Banks said before hanging up.

Finn looked at his phone for a minute before putting it back in his pocket. He decided that he had to tell Beth he was leaving. He walked around until he found the doctor he left her with.

"Doctor," Finn said as he ran up to him. "How's Beth?"

"The little girl you brought in?" the doctor asked. "She has a broken arm and a few bruised ribs but other than that she is going to be just fine."

Finn smiled a sigh of relief.

"Are you her father?" the doctor asked as he smiled at Finn.

Finn stood there taking in the question for a few minutes. The smile disappeared off of his face as he told the doctor he wasn't Beth's father. "I'm just a friend," he said, "an umm, a very special friend."

"Oh, okay," the doctor said, apologetic for his mistake. "You can go see her now if you'd like."

Finn followed the doctor into the room where Beth was waiting. As soon as he opened the door, the little girl smiled at the sight of Finn.

"Mister Finn!" she excitedly screamed.

"Hi Beth," he said as he gave her a hug.

"How's mommy?" she asked him.

"Your mommy is in surgery right now," Finn said, "but the doctors said you will be able to see her very soon." Beth smiled at Finn as he sat next to her. "I have to go now sweetie," he said. "I'll be back as soon as I get a chance though."

Beth didn't say anything. She crossed her arms and looked away.

"What's wrong sweetie?" Finn asked as he grabbed Beth's hand.

"You're leaving me," she said "and you promised you wouldn't. Mister Puck promised he wouldn't leave either but he did. Daddy left too and now you're leaving. Everybody always leaves." Beth began to cry and Finn tried to soothe her.

"Honey, I wish I could stay, I really do. I promise I'll come back though," Finn said as he saw the tears in Beth's eyes. "I have to go do my job but I will come back the second I can."

Beth stopped crying and gave Finn a big hug. "Please come back soon," she pleaded as she held on to him as tight as she could.

"The second I get off from work, I will be right here," Finn promised the little girl. He gave her one last hug and then left the room. Before he headed out he talked to some nurses and asked them to call him when Quinn was out of surgery.

**A/N: What's going to happen to Quinn? Will she survive surgery? How will that affect Puck, Beth, Finn? **


	8. An Unexpected Reaction

**Sorry I haven't updated in a few days- this holiday time has been hectic and I haven't had much time to work on stuff. Here's a few chapters for making you all wait. Hope you're still following and enjoying the story!**

**LL: Thanks for the review- glad you love the story!**

As he headed towards his car to head back to the station he couldn't help but think of all the events that happened. He hadn't seen Quinn since high school and there he was at the hospital with her and her daughter. It reminded him of the day of Beth's birth.

Quinn didn't know it, but Finn showed up at the hospital that day and watched her in the hallway. He saw her holding Beth after she was born and then he left. He thought that would finally give him closure. It did, until he started dating Quinn again. When they dated, he got to know Beth. She was still only a baby and he was pretty sure she didn't remember him, but he was so happy that he got to know her, if only for a few months.

Just thinking about all of these happy times with Beth and Quinn when everything felt right and perfect helped him to forget having to see the two of them suffer. As he drove back to the station, he thought about the happy times but couldn't seem to forget about Quinn, about Beth and about Puck.

Finn didn't understand how Puck could just leave like he did. Even though he wasn't there for Quinn and the baby at first, didn't mean he couldn't be there today when they both needed him the most. Finn understood that to a point, Puck was just following Quinn's wishes but still, he didn't understand how he could just leave when both his daughter and her mother were going to the hospital. Beth needed someone there for her, Finn thought. She needed her dad and he wasn't there. Finn was angry at Puck for this but knew that he really shouldn't say anything. As he pulled into the station, he had decided to keep it quiet; that is until he noticed Puck's car in the parking lot.

Finn ran into the station to check in with his captain and he saw Puck sitting at his desk working on a case.

"Puck, can I talk to you?" Finn asked his friend.

Puck put down his coffee cup and looked up from his papers. "Sure Finn, what's up?" he asked.

Finn was stunned. Puck was acting like nothing happened and it really pissed Finn off.

"What's up, what's up?" Finn asked sarcastically. "Your daughter and her mother who just happens to be your and my ex-girlfriend, was admitted into the hospital not even three hours ago and here you are at your desk working on a case and acting like nothing happened."

"Finn, both of us have work we have to do," Puck said. "We went to the scene; made sure the people in the accident got to the hospital and then should have come back here to work on the rest of our cases. It's our job Finn."

"Unbelievable Puck," Finn said as he looked at his best friend. "The people in the accident, they aren't just people and this wasn't just any case."

"Well, you should have treated it as if it were any other case," Puck said. "If you had you wouldn't have been so distressed and so distracted."

"Maybe if you weren't so heartless, you would get it," Finn said angrily. "I get that there are thousands of accidents that happen every year and that once in a while we are called to them because we are the closest to the scene, but the people in these accidents are real. Maybe being a homicide detective has made you go cold to people, but I haven't. Not to mention, both of us have a connection to the people in the accident today."

"You are too emotionally attached Finn," Puck said as he looked back at the case files on his desk. "Now come on, we have work to do."

Finn just stared at Puck as he tried to figure out the words to say to his best friend. "I'm sorry Puck," he said, "but I can't do this. I have to go talk to Captain Banks."

Finn walked into his superior's office as Puck went back to going over files with one of the other detectives.

"You wanted to see me captain?" Finn asked hoping his captain wasn't too mad at him.

"Hudson, where the hell were you?" Banks asked. "You were supposed to report back here hours ago. What happened?"

"Extenuating circumstances captain," Finn said. "The two people in the car accident were my ex-girlfriend and her seven year old little girl. I wanted to make sure they were okay so I followed them to the hospital."

"Is she your daughter Hudson?" Banks questioned.

"No sir," Finn replied.

"Then why weren't you back here to do your job?" Banks questioned again.

"Captain, a seven year old girl was in an accident with her mother. The mother is severely injured and the little girl was scared out of her mind," Finn said as he paused before his next comment. "I wasn't just going to leave her alone, she needed somebody. Her mom was in an accident and Beth was all alone. She needed help."

"Alright," Banks said. "Look Hudson, I understand where you are coming from but you have to understand that you have a job to do and that does not include escorting people to the hospital. That is the job of the medics. They could have taken care of that little girl. If it was any other little girl I'm sure you would have let the medics handle it. Your personal connection to the case makes this difficult but I know you are a good cop and won't let this happen again. Now go back to work."

Finn prepared to leave his captain's office but he turned around before he walked out.

"Captain, I need the day off," Finn said.

"Why?" Banks asked. "Is it because of this thing with your ex and her daughter because if it is then you really have to let it go. Hudson, you are really emotionally involved here and I don't even know why. This is your ex and her daughter who isn't your daughter." Banks paused as he realized that Finn really needed the time off. "Look, I'll give you the day off so you can sort this all out but you better come in tomorrow ready to work."

"Thank you captain," Finn said as he headed out of his captain's office. He grabbed his belongings off of his desk and headed out to his car.

"Where are you going Finn," Puck asked as he saw Finn headed out of the station doors. "We still have tons of cases left to deal with. We need to interview another witness in about fifteen minutes."

"You're on your own for that Puck," Finn said. "I'm taking the rest of the day off to take care of the daughter you so obviously don't care about."


	9. You Would Have Made a Great Dad

About fifteen minutes later, Finn was pulling into the parking lot of the hospital. He was thinking about what Captain Banks said about why he cared and why he needed to go to the hospital. Finn didn't exactly understand why he was at the hospital either. Banks was right. Quinn was his ex and Beth wasn't his daughter. He really had no reason to be going back to the hospital. He did his job and made sure both of them got help but after that his duty was over or at least it should have been.

Finn decided it wasn't over. Even though he and Quinn had their ups and downs he still cared about her and her little girl. He decided that he had to go to the hospital because if not Quinn and Beth would be alone. He thought about how scared Beth must be, just waiting at a hospital for Quinn to come out of surgery. He knew that she needed someone and if her father was not going to step up to the plate, Finn knew that he should. With Puck being distant, Finn was the closest thing she had to a father and he wasn't going to leave her like Puck did.

"Do you have any updates on Quinn Fabray's condition?" Finn asked one of the nurses at the front desk.

"Hold on, let me check," the nurse said as she looked at the reports. "I do have an update. Ms. Fabray is out of surgery and it looks like everything went well.

Finn gave a small sigh of relief.

"Oh, but, it looks like she went into a coma shortly before coming out of surgery," the nurse said. "I'm so sorry."

"Oh," Finn said as he struggled to grasp the reality of what was going on. His head began to spin as he tried to think. "Thanks for the update, can I go see her and how is her little girl, Beth Fabray?"

"Right now she can't have visitors," the nurse said. "Beth Fabray was cleared to go home. Someone named Kurt Hummel came to pick her up."

"Thank you," Finn said as he grabbed his stuff and headed towards Quinn's room in the ICU.

He walked past the door and just stared into the window at Quinn. She barely looked like she was breathing and it scared him to think she might die. He walked away and towards his car where he sat for fifteen minutes and just cried.

Since he had the day off Finn decided that he would go to his mom's house. He knew that was where Kurt stayed when he was in town. He didn't know that Kurt and Quinn were close but he figured that now was as good a time as any to make a visit to his brother.

Finn pulled up in his mom's driveway and used his key to get in the door. He walked in but the house was quiet.

"Hello," Finn said as he walked upstairs. "Kurt, mom, Burt, is anybody home?" he asked.

"In here" Finn heard Kurt say.

Finn waited a few minutes until Kurt came out of the bedroom.

"Finn Hudson, I am surprised to see you," Kurt said as he gave his brother a hug. "I haven't seen you since summer of our junior year in college. What brings you around?"

"I apologize that it's been so long," Finn said. "Mom always tells me when your home but I never visit and I'm sorry. I'd like to tell you this was just a friendly visit Kurt but I think we both know why I'm here."

"Beth?" Kurt asked as he saw Finn nod. "I figured that is why you were here. She is in the bedroom but she just fell asleep."

"Oh," Finn said. "I won't bother her then."

"Come sit down with me in the kitchen Finn," Kurt said. "I think we have some things we need to talk about."

For the next hour Finn and Kurt talked about Quinn and Beth. Kurt told Finn that after high school he and Quinn stayed friends and occasionally Kurt took the girls with him to New York. Kurt told Finn that because his fashion line was in New York, he spent a lot of time there but that whenever he was home he always made time to go see Quinn and Beth.

"I just came home yesterday and I'll be in town for a few days," Kurt told his brother. "I'm actually Quinn's emergency contact so they called me after the accident. It's so sad what happened to her and I hope so much that she wakes up from that coma. I knew that no one would be there for Beth so I told the doctors who I was and they let me take her. I figured she could stay with me for a few days until I can figure out other long term arrangements for however long Quinn is unable to take care of her. I called Quinn's parents and her siblings but none of them can take her. I thought that maybe Carole and dad could take care of her. I'm trying to shift some business things so I can stay longer and be with her but until then I'm running out of options. The next name on my list is Puck but I only wanted to call him if I was desperate."

"Puck won't be of any help," Finn interjected. "We were actually called to the scene and when he found out it was Quinn and Beth, he bolted. Now he is acting like nothing happened. He doesn't even want to be there for Beth and I don't understand it."

"I don't get it either," Kurt said, "but Puck and Quinn's relationship has been complicated ever since it began. At first he wanted Beth and then he didn't. He has been running hot and cold and it isn't fair to Quinn or her little girl."

"I know it isn't fair but since when has Puck cared about other people's feelings?" Finn reminded his brother.

He paused before telling Kurt why he came to the house in the first place. "So I thought that maybe I could stay with Beth," Finn said tentatively as if to ask Kurt's permission. "I mean I went to the hospital to take her home but then the nurse told me you had her."

"Finn, you are so sweet," Kurt said. "You have the most caring heart. She isn't your little girl but you still want to be her daddy."

"It's not that, I mean I don't think so," Finn said. He paused before realizing that was exactly what he wanted. "I wish every single day that I was her dad Kurt, but right now she just needs a friend and if you can't do it, I'd be happy to watch her until Quinn is able to take her daughter home."

"That is wonderful Finn," Kurt said. "I'll stay in town for a few more days just to help her get settled but knowing that she will be with you makes me feel so much better about leaving."

"Thanks Kurt, that means a lot," Finn said as he got up to leave. "I think she should stay here though because she knows this house and is comfortable here. Besides, I work during the day. I just hope mom won't mind watching her until I get home."

"Carole is fine with that," Kurt said. "I already talked to her. It will be really nice for her to have you there too though."

Kurt and Finn said their goodbyes and Finn told his brother that he would come by tomorrow after work and they could talk to Beth about what was going on.

"For what it's worth Finn," Kurt said as Finn headed out the door, "you would have made a great dad."

Finn smiled at his brother and mouthed a quick thank you before walking out the door and heading home.


	10. Not Going to Say Goodbye

The next day Finn went back to work as his captain had ordered. He worked cases with Puck all day who still seemed so set on forgetting the accident. Finn didn't mention Beth or Quinn and most of their car rides were as a result, relatively quiet. He only spoke to Puck about police related business and Puck didn't seem so willing to start up a conversation unless it pertained to the case they were working.

At 6 pm, Finn punched out ending his twelve hour shift. Puck decided to stay to work with one of the witnesses because there was a court date tomorrow. Finn on the other hand bolted out of the precinct as soon as the clock ticked 6 pm. The entire day all he could think about was Beth and Quinn. He decided to stop by the hospital and check on Quinn before going back to his mom's house to talk to Beth.

"No change," Quinn's doctor said as she heard Finn ask about her at the nurses' station.

"Can I see her?" Finn asked.

"Yes, I think a visit would be a good idea," the doctor said. "Sometimes when someone is in a coma, it helps for them to hear voices of the people who love them. Sometimes it even makes the biggest difference of all as it could help someone wake up. Give it a try."

The doctor showed him where Quinn's room was and let Finn in. He sat down by her bedside and began talking to her.

"Hi Quinn," he began. "Look I'm not really good at this. I mean I don't know how to talk to someone who can't talk back but the doctor told me if I talked to you it might help you wake up so here goes nothing. I just wanted to let you know that we all need you to wake up. Kurt and Beth, they both miss you so much and truth be told, I guess I do too. The last time I saw you we were both in high school getting ready to graduate. I hate that I had to see you yesterday under those circumstances but five years was really too long. I thought about you Quinn and sometimes I even thought about visiting you but I couldn't do it. I still hated how we left things. I mean I know we both got closure but I still hate how I broke your heart. But the thing is I'm not going to apologize, not now, because I know you are going to wake up. You can scream at me, yell at me and we can fight or do whatever you want but I know you are going to wake up and I feel like if I say I'm sorry that I'm giving up on you and I'm not. I'm not giving up on you Quinn Fabray." Finn squeezed her hand and wiped a few tears from his eyes. "So this isn't my last declaration because I'm not saying goodbye Quinn. It's more like see you later."

Finn got up and got ready to leave before realizing there was one more thing he wanted to tell his ex-girlfriend. "Oh, Quinn," he said. "I just wanted to let you know that your little girl is safe with me. I'm going to take care of her until you get out of here and can do it yourself. I won't let anything happen to her, I promise. I love Beth so much Quinn and I love you too. Now please wake up soon so I can tell you in person, okay?" Finn gave Quinn a quick smile before kissing her forehead and leaving the hospital.


	11. Is Love Really Enough?

When Finn got to his mom's, Beth was so excited to see him.

"Mister Finn!" she screamed as she jumped into his arms.

"Beth!" he screamed back almost as excited as the little girl. He gave her a hug and then put her down.

"Hi Kurt," Finn said as he watched Beth play with some toys.

"Hello to you too Finn," Kurt said.

"You know each other?" Beth asked as she saw Finn and Kurt hug.

"Yes we do sweetheart," Kurt said as he hugged the little girl. "Finn is my step-brother."

"What's a step-brother?" Beth asked.

"Well Beth," Finn said. "Kurt is my step-brother because we have different mommies and daddies. My dad died and so did his mom. Then his dad married my mom and we became step-brothers."

"Oh okay," Beth said as she smiled at Finn. "So does this mean you are my uncle too just like Uncle Kurt?"

"I don't see why not Beth," Kurt said as he realized Finn didn't know what to say. "You know Beth, Finn is a friend of mommy's too just like me. We all went to high school together."

"No way!" Beth said as she looked at Kurt. "Is that true Mister Finn?"

"It is," Finn said as he looked at Kurt. Finn didn't know if he was going to tell Beth that he knew her and Quinn but since Kurt already let that out of the bag he just sighed and tried to figure out how much he should say to the little girl. "Your mommy and I were very good friends," Finn said finishing his thought.

"They were more than just friends Beth," Kurt began again. "Finn and mommy were boyfriend and girlfriend."

Beth looked stunned as she stared Finn, then Kurt and then back at Finn.

Again, Finn did not expect Kurt to tell Beth about that. He wasn't really sure what to say next and unfortunately for him Beth jumped in first.

"If you dated mommy, does that make you my daddy then?" Beth asked with a twinkle in her eye. Finn had seen that twinkle a million times but in Quinn's eyes. Beth really was just like her mother. That is why it made it so hard for him to break her heart.

"No, I'm, I'm not your daddy," Finn said as he sounded so defeated by the admission.

"Oh, okay," Beth said, sounding as sad as Finn. She went back to playing with her toys and Finn swore he saw her wipe a few tears from her face. It made him want to cry too.

"Kurt, can I talk to you?" Finn asked as he turned to look at his brother.

"Sure," Kurt responded.

"Outside," Finn clarified.

Kurt could tell that Finn was serious. "We'll just be a few minutes Beth," Kurt told the little girl. "You stay right here and play." She nodded and Kurt and Finn headed outside.

When the brothers got outside, Finn spoke first.

"Kurt what were you thinking?" he asked. "I really didn't have plans of telling Beth that I dated Quinn."

"I know," Kurt said, "and I'm so sorry. It all just kind of came out."

"She is only seven, I mean of course she is going to think that since I dated her mother I would be her father," Finn said as he kicked some dirt. "It was so sad to have to see that look in her eyes go away when I had to tell her I wasn't her dad."

"I saw that sparkle in your eyes dim too when you told her Finn," Kurt said. "You want to be that little girl's daddy as much as she wants you to be her daddy."

"Is it that obvious?" Finn asked his brother who just nodded his head 'yes'. "I mean yes I do wish I was her dad but right now I just wish I could give her a father, any father. When I told her I wasn't her dad, she was so upset. She just needs to know who her father is and to have him in her life. I wanted to tell her that I know who her father is and I wanted to tell her that he was coming to pick her up and take her home but I couldn't lie."

"I wish it was that simple Finn," Kurt said, "but we all know Puck. He can't give Beth the father she needs so I think it is better that she doesn't know he is her dad at least right now. Maybe when he grows up and realizes that leaving Quinn and his daughter was the biggest mistake he ever made in his life, he will be able to be a father to Beth."

"Yeah, you're probably right Kurt," Finn said. "I just really wish I could convince him sooner rather than later. I don't know much about what happened between Puck and Quinn after the baby was born except for what she told me in the ambulance. She said that at first Puck wanted to be involved, even during the pregnancy he offered to help her but she turned him down. Then he stopped trying and it was nice Quinn said, until she realized that she really did want Puck back in Beth's life but at that point it was too late."

"That is exactly how it happened," Kurt said. "Puck was possibly the nicest I've ever seen him during Quinn's pregnancy. Even when everyone thought that you were Beth's father, Puck still supported Quinn in whatever way she would let him. He continued to be there for her in little ways until it came out that he was the baby's father. I know you probably hate to hear this but he totally stepped up to the plate Finn. I mean he really was there for her. The only problem was that she didn't want him. She wanted to raise her baby with you but when you were out of the picture, she wouldn't let Puck step up. Eventually she moved in with him but that was only after she had no place to go. He tried for so long to be enough for her but I think he felt that Quinn always wanted you and not him to be the baby's father. After Beth was born, he continued to try to be a dad. Quinn turned him away time and again. She moved out of his house and got her own apartment. She told him to leave her and the baby alone. He persisted that it was his child and he deserved the right to see her but Quinn didn't cave in. Eventually he just gave up and stopped coming around. When Quinn decided that she wanted her baby to know her father Puck told her that it was too late."

Finn took in everything that his stepbrother had said to him. "I understand she hurt him by keeping him away for the first few months of Beth's life but I also think he gave up too easily. I mean he had to understand that she just needed some time to figure things out. If he had just given it to her, well, well then we wouldn't be having this conversation," Finn reminded Kurt. "Puck would have taken his daughter home from the hospital and I would probably be at my apartment right now."

"But here we are," Kurt said. "Puck doesn't want to be a daddy anymore and there is a little girl in there that needs one right now. Finn I know you aren't her father but you are the closest thing she has to a father figure until Quinn comes home."

"I know," Finn said. "I'll never leave her Kurt, not again."

"That's good to hear," Kurt said, "but are you talking about Beth or her mom?"

Finn realized he was talking about Quinn. "Both I guess," he answered. "If Quinn doesn't want me in Beth's life or hers after she comes home then I won't put up a fight. I have no ties to her and that little girl and I have to let them live their life."

"You certainly do have ties," Kurt reminded his brother. "You love those girls and for me that love is enough of a tie to bond you to them forever but for now we have to go talk to Beth, I think I hear her from inside the house, we better go in."

Finn agreed with his brother and they both went in to talk to Beth. He thought about what Kurt said and realized that maybe he did have a connection still to Quinn and her baby. He definitely loved them, he thought, but is love really enough?

**A/N: Fluffy Furt brotherhood stuff here :)**


	12. Momma Knows Best

Finn and Kurt came inside to find Beth asleep on the floor. It was past 8 pm and Finn decided that whatever they needed to talk to her about could wait until the morning. Kurt agreed and Finn took Beth up to the guest room where she was staying. He kissed her goodnight and then headed downstairs where he ran into his mom.

"Hi mom," Finn said as he gave his mom a big hug.

"Hello to you too Finny," she responded.

"I really appreciate what you are doing for Beth mom," Finn said as he sat down next to his mother on the couch.

"It's no problem," she said. "Besides Kurt told me how sweet she is and about everything that happened and I knew I had to help in whatever way I could. Finn, it took me awhile to get over everything. Trust me I never expected for you or I to be associating with Quinn at all let alone taking care of her daughter after what she did. I never thought either of us would forgive her but it looks like both of us have. I'll never understand how she could cheat on you and lie to you, but I do understand how hard it must be to be a teen mother and from that little girl upstairs, it is clear she is doing a great job."

"I wish she didn't have to be a single parent," Finn admitted. "As much as I want to be Beth's daddy, I know that is never going to happen. I just wish that Puck would step up and be the father that I know he can be and the one that Beth deserves. Quinn may have made mistakes and I hated her and didn't forgive her for a while but I never had any of those feelings towards Beth. She was totally innocent in everything and I have never stopped loving her. Mom, when Quinn and I got back together everything felt right at first. It finally felt like the family I knew we were supposed to be but it all fell apart. I realized that no matter how hard I tried, every time I was with her and Beth I couldn't help but feel out of place. I told Quinn I broke up with her because I still loved Rachel but that wasn't fully true. I couldn't handle being around her and Beth without the old feelings of resentment and hatred coming back. I swear mom, I tried to let it all go but I couldn't and I had to break up with her."

"Well son," Carole began, "how do you feel about everything now?"

"I don't know mom," Finn said. "It is all so fresh. I hadn't seen Quinn or Beth in five years and I didn't really think about them too much either. I mean occasionally when I would pass by the park where Quinn and I took Beth when she was little or the movie theatre where Quinn and I shared our first kiss, I thought about them, but other than that Quinn and Beth didn't cross my mind very often. I accepted the fact that Beth wasn't my daughter and although I missed her I knew that I wasn't really a person who needed to be in her life. So I kept my distance. A few times I thought about contacting Quinn but I couldn't because of how we ended things. I chose Rachel over her and she was heartbroken."

Finn paused for a few moments before continuing. "But yesterday when I saw her in that car, so helpless, so vulnerable and so beautiful, the old feelings came back. I don't know but seeing someone you loved come so close to dying, I guess, it really just puts things in perspective. I realized how I was wrong to stay away from Quinn and Beth. I missed four years of that little girl's life and I never knew how hard that was until I saw her again. I don't exactly know how to describe my feelings mom but I know that right now I would do anything for Quinn and Beth. I hate that I broke up with her because I couldn't handle things and I hate how I left her alone to raise a baby. I also know that I still love her and Beth and no matter how hard I tried I never stopped."

"Finn that is so sweet and I am so proud of you," Carole said as she put her arm around her son. She could tell he was trying to hide his tears and she took a tissue to wipe his eyes.

"Honey, I could never tell you how to feel or how to act," she said. "You went through something so difficult and everybody told you how you should feel. It is hard enough to sort out emotions without other people myself included trying to control your opinions and feelings. After what Quinn did to you, maybe you should hate her but Finn, I'm really glad you don't. You make me proud every single day to be your mom and I am so happy that you have Quinn and Beth back in your life. I only ever want what is best for you and what makes you happy and if this makes you happy then I am more than happy to lend a hand. Besides that little girl was going to be my granddaughter for a few months and I love her too."

Finn never thought about that before. He forgot that since he was going to be a dad, his mom was going to be a grandmother. He thought it was really sweet and made him feel better that she still loved Beth too.

"Thanks mom," Finn said as he gave his mom a kiss. "I am really happy to have Beth and Quinn back in my life. I feel like I have a renewed sense of purpose now that I am a temporary guardian. I want more than anything for Quinn to wake up though so I can talk to her about how I feel. She is going to wake up, right mom?"

"With a little girl and the most wonderful man waiting for her, I don't see how she can stay asleep for too much longer," Carole said as she pulled her son in for a hug. He started to cry a little bit but he didn't care. His mom never saw him as weak or vulnerable so he always felt comfortable crying in front of her.

"I'll be back tomorrow to tell Beth about what is going on," Finn said. "Until then can you watch her?"

"Of course I can but Finn I have an idea that will make all of this easier," Carole said. "Why don't you move back in? It would just be temporary and just until Quinn is able to take care of Beth again but I think it would be much easier than you going back and forth from here to your apartment."

"I'd like that a lot mom," Finn said as he smiled at his mother. "I'll bring by some stuff tomorrow. Goodnight."

Finn gave his mom one last hug before leaving for his apartment. When he got home he packed up a bag and put it in his car. He decided that he would move in with his mom right after work. This way he wouldn't have to go home and could spend as much time with Beth as he could.

**A/N: And now another sweet scene between Finn and his mom. Don't worry though, drama will be unfolding very quickly in the next few chapters!**


	13. Explaining the Past

**A/N And now the chapter you have all been waiting for. Time to find out why Puck really left Quinn and Beth.**

It was twenty-four hours until Finn saw his mom and Beth again. He had tried to get off of work early but he got caught working a kidnapped child case. His precinct had gotten calls from the kidnapper saying that he would kill the two kids, a seven year old girl and four year old boy, if they couldn't find him. Finn was confused but Puck cleared it up for him.

"I've worked a case like this before," Puck told his partner. "The guy is a psycho. He doesn't care about these kids at all and it was probably a random kidnapping. He just wants to be caught but if he isn't then he won't hesitate to kill the kids. This is all a game to him."

"That's right," Banks said as Finn was still trying to process how someone could just kill kids. "I want to see everyone in this unit following leads, interviewing witnesses and doing everything possible to find these kids."

Both Finn and Puck agreed with their captain and for the first time in days were on the same page. They headed out in the squad car to follow up on a lead on the whereabouts of the kidnapper. Someone phoned in saying they saw a man with the two kids near McKinley high school. Since both Finn and Puck went there, they both knew the quickest routes and volunteered to investigate the lead.

When they got to the spot where the woman said she saw the kids, no one was there. Puck and Finn searched the entire area until they got a phone call from their captain.

"We got em," Banks said. "Officers Lewis and Michaelson ran another lead and we got the kids. Both of them are unharmed and are being driven back to the precinct as we speak."

"Thank God," Puck said. "Hudson and I are headed back to the precinct now. I'll let him know."

"Who was that?" Finn asked as he headed toward the car.

"That was Banks," Puck said. "Lewis and Michaelson found the kids. They are driving them to the precinct now."

"Thank God," Finn said. "If something happened to those kids, I don't know what I would have done."

"Yeah if something ever happened to," Puck stopped before continuing. "Never mind let's just head back to the precinct."

Finn knew exactly what Puck was going to say so he thought it was a good time to bring up Puck's daughter. "If something ever happened to Beth," Finn said, "I'm sure you would kill the person who did it."

Puck looked directly at Finn when he mentioned his daughter. "Yeah I guess but like I told you before she isn't my daughter anymore," Puck said as he closed the squad door and began driving back to the precinct.

"She'll always be your daughter," Finn reminded him. "Besides despite everything that happened, you are still allowed to care about her and her wellbeing. I still care about her and she isn't my daughter. I'd give anything for her to be my daughter though."

Puck immediately became defensive. Beth was his daughter and not Finn's. This is why things didn't work with him and Quinn. It was because every time he tried to be a father, Quinn wouldn't let him because he wasn't Finn. He hated that she did this and it eventually made him give up trying. If he wasn't going to be the dad she wanted then he figured it was better for him to leave her and Beth alone. He still loved his little girl and cared about her immensely but it hurt too much to see her and think about her all the time knowing she was his daughter but he couldn't be her father.

"This is why I don't talk to you about this Finn," Puck snapped back at his friend. "She's not your daughter and she never was. Quinn slept with me and had my baby, not yours."

Finn realized he hit a nerve but it still hurt for Puck to say what he did. "Look Puck," Finn said. "I get it. I know she isn't my daughter, I accepted that a long time ago but that doesn't mean I don't want to be her father. A day doesn't go by where I don't wish things were different and that I was Beth's dad. At least then she would have a dad."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Puck angrily fired back.

"Well you said you didn't have a daughter," Finn said. "That means that Beth doesn't have a father."

"You don't get it Finn," Puck said as he continued to drive.

"No Puck, I get it and you sure as hell should too," Finn said as he looked directly at his best friend, whose eyes were still staring straight forward. "You and I both know what it is like to grow up without a dad. My dad died when I was little and I never knew him. Your dad left before you were five and you didn't really know him either. Both of us also know what it is like to watch a single mom raise a kid. Both of us were raised by single mothers and noticed how hard it was to get by sometimes."

Finn paused before mentioning the parallels between their childhood and Beth's. "Now look at Beth," Finn said. "Look at your daughter and at her mother. I know that Quinn didn't want you there but if it was me, I never would have given up. I never would have let Quinn raise my child alone. Not only would I have fought because it was my baby, but I would have fought because I never would let the mother of my child do it alone. Both of us were children of single mothers and knowing how hard that was on my mom, I could never do the same thing. I know my dad died and didn't leave but still, my mom was a single mother. I just don't understand how you could leave your little girl Puck. I always thought you were different, but I guess it's like father like son."

Puck didn't even look at Finn. His dad was a deadbeat and Puck had always thought he would be better. He told himself that if he ever had kids he would never leave. He was determined not to be his dad but Finn was right. He had become his father. Even though Quinn didn't want him at first, she changed her mind. She gave him the opportunity to be a father but he just left. As he thought to himself, he realized that he was no better than his father. Puck pulled the car over and sat quietly for a few minutes before punching the steering wheel and responding to Finn's accusations.

"You're right," Puck said. "I am no better than my dad. I left my little girl and her mother to fend for themselves. Quinn was 17 with a one year old little girl when I stopped coming around. She moved out of my place and I had no idea where she would go." Puck paused before telling Finn what he had wanted to say since the day Beth was born.

"You don't get it though Finn," Puck said as he looked at his best friend. "I didn't leave my baby or Quinn, they left me. She moved out of my place and although I begged her to stay she wouldn't. She told me I couldn't see Beth. She told me that she didn't want my help raising our little girl. I tried to be there for her and Beth but time and time again she pushed me away. So yeah, maybe I abandoned my little girl by not chasing after her, but after months of rejection I couldn't take it. Quinn never wanted me to be Beth's father and she never wanted me in her life. You don't get how hard that is Finn and you never will."

Puck began to walk away but Finn grabbed his arm before he could go too far. "Puck you can't walk away from this," Finn said. "I understand that it is hard for you because at first Quinn didn't want you but now she does. She wants you to be Beth's father. You have a seven year old daughter and I know you love her. She needs a father, Puck. She needs you."

"I already walked away from my daughter once and there is nothing stopping me from doing it again," Puck said. "I don't really want to be a father anymore anyway. I wouldn't be a good dad so it's better I'm no dad at all."

"Puck that's not true," Finn said as he looked directly at his friend. "You'd make a great dad and now is the time to be one. No one is going to care about the past. Being here for Beth now is all that matters. You can be her father Puck. Your little girl is in Lima and you can be her dad until Quinn wakes up and then you two can talk about the future."

"Wait," Puck said as he took in Finn's words, "what do you mean until Quinn wakes up?"

"Oh," Finn said as he remembered that Puck didn't know about anything that happened after the car accident. "After I took Quinn to the hospital the doctors said she needed surgery. I waited for as long as I could but then Banks called me back to work and I had to go. I went back the next day and the doctors told me she was in a coma from the surgery," Finn said pausing as he saw Puck's look of concern. "Beth is fine though. She just has a broken arm but the doctors put a cast on it and said she'll be okay."

"Oh," Puck said. "If Quinn is in the hospital, what is going to happen to Beth?"

This was the first time in the conversation where Finn could see how much Puck still cared for his daughter. He was concerned about her and Finn thought maybe this would mean he would take her home.

"Well, actually Beth is living with my mom," Finn said. "Kurt and Quinn were really good friends and when he heard about what happened he took Beth back to my mom and Burt's house. He stays there when he comes home and he was going to watch Beth until he had to go back to work. I actually offered to take her to my place but instead I'm moving in with my mom to take care of Beth when Kurt goes back to New York."

Puck, who had been staring at a wall and kicking dirt, now turned around and was directly facing Finn.

"I'm sorry, but did you just say you were taking care of Beth?" Puck angrily questioned Finn. "My daughter is living with you?"

"Well Puck, she had nowhere else to go because you didn't step up to the plate," Finn reminded him.

"I don't want to hear it," Puck screamed. "Dammit Finn, this is exactly why I stopped coming around Quinn and the baby, MY baby, in the first place. Do you know how hard it is to hear the woman carrying your baby constantly tell you to go away? Do you know how hard it is to be told over and over and over again that you aren't the man she wants to be with or be the father of her baby? No Finn, you don't. You don't know what it is like," Puck said as he paused to try to calm down.

He realized he was yelling at Finn and despite everything he knew that none of it was Finn's fault. "Finn," he said, his tone significantly lower, "you have no idea how hard it is to try to be there when you aren't wanted. She wanted you, not me and every single damn day I had to hear it. Quinn constantly told me I wasn't you and that she only wanted you. Every time I tried to be a father to my baby, she turned me away because I wasn't you. No matter how hard I tried or how much I loved her, I was never enough for Quinn. So yeah I left and I hate that I had to leave my daughter every single day. I still think about her every day. I'd do anything just to get a glimpse of my daughter and to see her grow up. But I just couldn't take it. I couldn't take being told over and over again that I wasn't wanted in my daughter's life. I just couldn't take it."

Puck began to cry as he sat down on the pavement. Finn tried to comfort him.

"Puck, I'm so sorry, I didn't know," Finn said. "It's okay though because Quinn wants you in Beth's life now. You can be the father you want to be and that I know you can be. All you have to do is pick her up from my house and you can see your daughter."

Finn was excited at the prospect that Puck really did want his daughter but he didn't realize that the words he said had just made Puck even madder.

"It's not that simple Finn," Puck said. "I will not have my daughter be used as a pawn in a game. First Quinn told me no, then she said yes and I have no idea what she will say in the future. I'm not going to have her play games with my heart and with my daughter. It is better that I don't be her father because it would kill me if Quinn changed her mind again and took that away from me," Puck said before pausing to wipe a few tears from his eyes. "So go be Beth's dad and play house with my daughter. Quinn always wanted you to be her father so here is your chance. I know when she wakes up she'll just go back to you anyway. So go have your happy family because I really don't care anymore."

Puck started to walk away but turned back to say one last thing to Finn. "I swear though Hudson," Puck said, "if you harm even one beautiful blonde hair on either Quinn or Beth's head, if you do anything to hurt either of them or if you leave Quinn again like you did two other times, then so help me, you won't live to breathe another breath."

After saying this Puck stormed off. Finn had no idea where he was going but he knew that he wasn't headed back to the station. As Finn got up from the pavement he noticed the keys to the squad car about five feet away. Puck must have left them there before he ran out, Finn thought to himself. He grabbed the keys and drove the car back to the station unsure of what to tell his captain about Puck's whereabouts.


	14. Start Spreading the News

As Finn pulled into the station he noticed that Puck's car was still there. He went inside to tell Banks what happened.

"Can I talk to you for a minute Captain?" Finn asked as he put his coat down on his desk chair. He noticed that Puck's coat was still sitting on his desk.

"What's up Hudson?" Banks said as he looked at his officer. He noticed that his other officer was not there. "Where's Puckerman?"

He seemed more cordial than usual but Finn chalked it up to the fact that they had just caught a kidnapper and that the kids were safe. "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about sir," Finn said. He then proceeded to tell his captain about the fight he had with Puck.

"So he's missing?" Banks said after hearing Finn's story.

"He probably just went home or something, I don't know, but it got ugly and he was really mad. Maybe he just needed the day off," Finn said as he tried to reason to himself where Puck might have gone.

"Well if this were any other day," Banks said, "I'd be pretty pissed that he didn't come back to work. But this isn't any day because we just saved the lives of two kids. Go home Hudson and don't worry about Puckerman. He'll be back to work in the morning."

Finn looked at his watch and saw that it was 4pm. He was excited to get to leave early because that way he could go home and they could finally talk to Beth about Quinn, where she was going to be staying and about what would happen until Quinn woke up. He dreaded the conversation because he didn't want to tell Beth that the only parent she ever knew may or may not wake up.

"Thanks captain," Finn said as he grabbed his belongings and headed out the door. "See you tomorrow."

Two weeks had passed since Finn or anyone else in Lima for that matter had since Puck.

_After their fight, Finn expected to see Puck at work the next day but he wasn't there. He found out from a very angry Captain Banks that Puck had come into his office a few hours after Finn left and gave him his resignation. Banks told Finn that he asked to be transferred._

"_Where did he go?" Finn asked his captain._

"_I'm sorry Hudson but I can't say," Banks said. "Puckerman doesn't want anybody to know."_

"_Sir, I don't mean you any disrespect but I feel like if I talk to him I can get him to come back. I feel like it's my fault he left in the first place," Finn admitted._

"_Look, I want Puckerman back as much as you," Banks said. "He was one of this precinct's best officers but right now he needs time away. I can't tell you where he is but I can tell you he is not in Ohio anymore."_

_Finn was stunned. He didn't know Puck left Lima let alone Ohio. He needed to find him and get him to come back. He had a daughter he needed to take care of and Finn was convinced he could get Puck to raise Beth even if meant Finn having to step out of the picture. _

Finn was thinking about that day when he found out Puck left and the promise he made himself to bring him home. He sat on his couch realizing he hadn't really made good on the promise. He planned to track down Puck but being a dad to Beth really kept him busy. When he wasn't working cases at the station he was making sure Beth was taken care of. What little time he had left he spent at the hospital talking to Quinn and trying to get her to wake up. It had been almost three weeks since she went into the coma and as time kept ticking away, so did the chances that Quinn would wake up.

Finn had talked to both Kurt and his mom about long term plans regarding Beth in the case that Quinn didn't wake up. No one wanted to face the possibility of that happening but Finn reminded both Kurt and his mom that with Beth involved they had to have some sort of plan in place.

One possible solution that Kurt suggested was that Finn adopt Beth. No one wanted to see that little girl go to foster care but if Finn adopted her that wouldn't happen. Finn wanted to adopt Beth more than anything in the world but every time he thought about it, he couldn't help but consider Puck. This was Puck's little girl, not his and he felt as if he would be betraying his best friend if he adopted Beth.

This is why, Finn decided, he had to seriously look for Puck. He tried calling him but Puck wasn't answering his calls. He wanted to ask his permission to adopt Beth but it was something he couldn't leave over a voicemail. He needed to find Puck and do it in person.

As he sat on the couch watching Beth play with her toys, he decided to go visit Quinn. Maybe she would wake up and then he wouldn't have to worry about finding Puck. He missed Quinn almost as much as her daughter did.

A few hours later, Finn was sitting by Quinn's bedside.

"Okay Quinn," Finn said. "I'm done asking you nicely. It's been three weeks and I feel like you haven't been listening to me. You have to wake up Quinn. I'm not asking anymore I'm telling; you have to wake up. Your daughter already doesn't have a father so please don't take her mother away either. She needs you. I need you. Things have just gotten so weird and so complicated since you came back into my life and you have to wake up so we can figure things out. Our relationship is, it's different now, Quinn and you have to wake up so we can figure it out. Your daughter, she isn't mine but that doesn't mean I don't love her and I promise you I will watch her for as long as I need to but I don't want it to be permanent. I can't imagine a future without you Quinn and I won't. I'll raise your daughter as my own but only if you are by my side to do it. I love you so much so please, please come back to me."

Finn waited a few minutes but he got no reaction from Quinn. He kissed her on the lips and then said to her the words he promised he wouldn't.

"Goodbye Quinn," Finn said as he headed out the door. "I'm going out of town for a few days to track down Beth's real dad. I'll be back as soon as I can and please wake up for me when I come home, okay. I think I'm going to take Beth with me, because that might be the best chance of bringing Puck home."

Finn gave Quinn another kiss before leaving her room. He happened to run into her doctor in the hallway.

"Doctor, I just saw Quinn," Finn said. "Do you happen to know if there have been any changes in her condition?"

"I'm sorry Mr. Hudson, but there is no change," the doctor said. "Didn't you ask me this two weeks ago?"

"No," Finn said, "but I have been meaning to talk to you about what is going to happen if she doesn't wake up."

"Well I'll tell you the same thing I told her other friend who visited two weeks ago," the doctor said. "We can keep her on life support for as long as you want but the chances of her waking up lessen as time passes. If she doesn't wake up within the week, I don't think she will and I would recommend not prolonging her vegetative life for much longer. I want her to wake up and we are doing everything in our power to make that happen but a life on life support is not much of a life at all."

"Thanks doctor, I understand," Finn said. "Did Quinn's other visitor happen to tell you his name?"

"He just said he was a friend," the doctor said. "He did mention though that he was leaving for New York but gave us his phone number in case anything happened with her condition to call him."

"Thanks again," Finn said as the doctor walked away.

Finn thought about who the mystery visitor could be. He knew it wasn't Kurt because the doctors knew who he was and Quinn didn't have any male family members that lived in the area. He knew it must be Puck. He didn't know why Puck would have visited Quinn but he knew that he had to find him.


	15. We're Leaving Today

**A/N Hey guys so sorry I haven't been able to put a chapter up in a few days. Thanks for all the reviews and I'll get to answering them as soon as I can but right now I just figured I would put up a few chapters and then get to the reviews. Enjoy!**

"Hi Beth," Finn said as he got home from the hospital. "We are going to go on an adventure okay?"

"Where are we going?" the little girl asked.

"Well, I'm not fully sure yet but that is what makes it an adventure," Finn said as he picked up Beth and gave her a hug. "Pack some things and we'll leave in the morning."

Beth ran up to her room to pack for the adventure and Finn prepared to do the same before he was confronted by his mom.

"Where are you taking Beth?" Carole asked.

"I'm taking her with me to go bring her dad home," Finn told his mother.

"You're looking for Puck?" his mom questioned with a look of puzzlement on her face.

"Yes mom," Finn said. "I went to see Quinn today and I don't think she is going to wake up mom. If she doesn't wake up, someone is going to have to take care of Beth and as much as I love that little girl, her real father needs to be the one to take care of her."

"Finn, you are so sweet," Carole said. "I think it is a good idea to take Beth too. Maybe he'll come home if he sees his daughter."

"That's what I'm hoping for," Finn admitted.

After Finn helped Beth pack he put her to bed. He packed his own things and then spent the rest of the night tracking down Puck's address. He used the phone number the doctor gave him and was able to track down Puck's location. After he got what he needed, he packed up his computer and sent Puck a text.

"_I'm coming to get you in the morning and I'm bringing Beth with me" – Finn._

Finn helped load Beth's things into the car and then they began driving. He decided it would be best to take a plane because that way they could go from Ohio to New York in only a few hours.

As they were driving to the airport, Beth began to ask Finn questions.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"I told you sweetie, we are going on an adventure," Finn told the little girl.

"Fine," she said as she crossed her arms.

The car was silent for a few more minutes before Beth questioned Finn again.

"Uncle Finn," she said. "Are you going to be my new daddy?"

Finn turned around to look at Beth and then looked back at the road. He had talked about this prospect before with his mom and Kurt but never with Beth. He didn't really know how to answer this so he just smiled at her and said what he could to the best of his ability.

"Maybe someday Beth," Finn said, "but now I'm just your Uncle Finn okay?"

"I want you to be my daddy Uncle Finn," Beth said. "I know you would never leave me like my other daddy did."

All of a sudden, Finn stopped to think. Beth had always thought of her father as someone who was brave. In the three weeks since Quinn's accident she only ever talked of praise of her father. Finn wondered why now, things were different.

"Honey, your daddy loves you I'm sure of it," Finn said as he watched the little girl through the mirror. "I know you love him too."

"If he loved me he wouldn't have left me and mommy like you and Uncle Kurt said he did," Beth said as she started to cry.

"What are you talking about Beth?" Finn asked, although he already knew that Beth must have listened in on one of his and Kurt's many conversations.

"I heard you and Uncle Kurt talking about it that night that he took me back to your house. You said he gave up on me and was selfish. This must mean he doesn't love me," Beth said. "Everything mommy told me about him isn't true then."

Finn was rocked by what Beth had just said. This is not at all how he wanted Beth to think of her father. Finn still couldn't understand why Puck left but he knew for certain that he loved his little girl more than anything in the world. He made a mistake by not coming after Quinn and Beth but after talking with him, Finn could understand how it was difficult for him to stay around.

As he passed the sign telling him they were five miles away from the airport, Finn decided it was time that Beth know the truth about her father.

"Beth when we get on the plane," Finn said, "I promise you I will tell you about your dad. I know him and he actually went to school with me and your Uncle Kurt. He loves you very much and there is so much you need to know."

The little girl looked confused but smiled showing Finn she was satisfied with what he said.


	16. The Big Apple Blues

**A/N Just wanted to thank you guys again for the reviews and to let you know that your reviews actually do influence this story. Thanks especially to cassdsassyangel's review questioning what Puck may have said to Quinn when he visited her in the hospital. I originally did not have a conversation written in but ask and you shall receive. I think it is a great idea so I decided to add it in this chapter. So keep reviewing and keep giving suggestions because you never know what brilliant idea you have that can make this story even better!**

At the same time Finn and Beth were on the airplane, Puck was just coming home from his work at the NYPD. As he walked in the door, Rachel greeted him and gave him a hug as she did every day when he came home from work. As soon as he went into the living room, four year old Ian and came up and gave him a big hug. He hugged the little boy and then picked up one year old Bentley and held her on his lap as Rachel cooked them dinner.

Puck felt extremely weird sitting on Rachel Berry's couch next to her son and even weirder when he looked down and saw her daughter in his arms. He felt like he was playing house in someone else's life but truthfully he didn't mind. He felt a little out of place because they weren't his kids but he loved kids and he was thankful of what Rachel was doing for him.

"Hey Rach," Puck said as he headed into the kitchen to help Rachel with dinner. "I just wanted to thank you again for letting me stay with you while I'm in New York."

"It's not a problem Noah," Rachel responded as she began setting the table. "I'm happy to help you anyway I can."

"I knew I could always count on a fellow Jew," Puck said as he smiled at Rachel. He handed her the sleeping baby in his arms and set the table with four place settings.

"To be perfectly honest Noah, I'm actually surprised you even knew where to find me. I'm surprised you came and asked to stay here too," Rachel said. "I'm glad you are here though," she added as baby Bentley woke up in her arms.

"I'm glad I'm here too," Puck said as Ian ran into his arms.

Rachel looked at the two boys and smiled. "You know you are going to have to go home soon though," Rachel said. "Don't get me wrong, I love having you here. In fact ever since Brennan and I got divorced it has been lonely around here. I never realized how difficult it is to be a single mom especially with Ian, he misses his daddy."

"You could always tell him Rach," Puck said. "I'm sure he would come back if he knew the truth."

"And you could always go home to your daughter," Rachel fired back not wanting to acknowledge Puck's comment. "I'm sure she misses you and it is clear you miss her too. Just watching you with my kids these past two weeks it is obvious you would make a good dad and now would be the best time to prove to Quinn she was wrong to ever want to keep you out of Beth's life."

"I don't admit this to just anyone but you are probably right Rach," Puck said. "I don't even know if Quinn is going to wake up and it scares me every day to think of what will happen if she doesn't. I want to talk to her and tell her I'm sorry and I want to just go back to Lima and sweep Beth into my arms and take her home but I can't, I just can't Rach."

Puck sat down and put his head in his hands. Rachel gave sat next to him and grabbed his hands.

"Noah," she said in her sweet voice, "you have to go home to your little girl. I know things were complicated with Finn early on but Quinn knows now she can't keep you away from your daughter. Who cares if she wants Finn to be the father? None of that matters because you are the father and nothing Quinn says or does can change that. You already missed seven years of your daughter's life Noah, don't miss anymore."

"What if Quinn changes her mind again?" he asked her. "I've already completely fallen in love with Beth and I couldn't handle losing her again."

"If she changes her mind you fight back," Rachel said. "I know you would never do anything to hurt Quinn or your daughter but take it to court and fight for joint custody. Maybe just the threat of it will be enough to convince her not to put visiting rights on your time with your daughter."

"Maybe you're right," Puck said as he looked up at Rachel, "but I still don't know. My daughter has believed that she doesn't have a dad for seven years and maybe it is too late to try to be her dad now."

"It's never too late Noah," Rachel said as she put Bentley in her high chair and situated Ian in his seat. "Besides, I know this is hard to think about and what happened to Quinn is absolutely horrible and I hope that she gets better, but Noah, you have to face the possibility that Quinn might not wake up. If that happens you are the only one keeping your daughter from foster care. You need to go home and tell her how much you love her and show her who her daddy really is. Quinn will owe you when she wakes up and I'm sure you two will work something out."

"Thanks Rach," Puck said. "You always know exactly what to say. I'm working a case right now that I have to wrap up but as soon as it's over I'm on the first plane home to take my little girl home with me where she belongs."

Rachel smiled at him. "You're doing the right thing," she said, "and I'm proud of you."

"I hope so," Puck sighed. He wasn't really scared at the fact that Quinn would change her mind again, he was scared she might not wake up. He reflected back on his visit to the hospital before he left Ohio.

_(flashback)_

"_Umm so I don't even know if I should be here right now or if I have the right to be here," Puck stumbled on his words. He wasn't exactly sure where he was going when he had walked away from his conversation from Finn. He didn't even know if the hospital was his intended destination but for some reason that is where he found himself, in Quinn's room, sitting by her bedside. "So uh, I don't really know how to do this," Puck continued as he stared at Quinn's seemingly lifeless body. "To be honest it scares the crap out of me. Seeing you like this and imaging what would happen if you never, you know, it terrifies me Quinn. I hate that the last memory I have of you is me walking away while you try to console our crying daughter. I hate the look I saw in your eyes that day when you gave me a chance and I threw it away. I wish I hadn't Quinn, because maybe, just maybe, things would have been different. Maybe you and Beth wouldn't have been in that car and maybe you wouldn't be in this hospital bed unable to speak or move or yell at me. Yell at me for God's sakes Quinn. Wake up and yell at me for leaving you and Beth, yell at me for being an ass all these years. Yell at me for not getting to know our seven year old daughter. Our beautiful, amazing, looks just like you baby girl. I missed so much time with her, seeing her grow up but you, you must have told her stuff about me. Brave like daddy, what a joke," Puck said as he continued to lament his feelings. "I'm not brave. I'm a coward and a jerk and a deadbeat. Finn's right, I'm no better than my dad and that's why I have to leave. I can't stay here in Ohio and pray for a miracle I'm not even sure I believe in. I can't stay here and screw up the perfect life you have given our daughter. She is perfect Quinn. You raised her and she turned out perfect. So please just wake up okay? Please because I can't ruin our daughter's world and tell her mom isn't coming home. I can't do it. I can't face the reality that I might have to life live without you in it. I mean sure we never really talk anymore and frankly I don't really know how to talk to you anymore. Maybe it is because I still love you. Maybe it is because I never stopped. I love you Quinn and I need you to wake up so I can tell you."_

_Puck got up and paced around the room for a few seconds before sitting back down and grabbing Quinn's hand. "Look this is going to be the last time I'm going to see you for a while," he admitted as he wiped a few tears from his eyes. "I'm going to New York for some time. I got a job offer and I think I'm going to take it. Don't worry about Beth though, she's in good hands. Apparently Finn and Kurt and Carole are watching her. It's just what you always wanted Quinn and it's better for Beth this way. Finn's already making a better dad than I ever could be."_

"_Goodbye Quinn," Puck finished as he kissed her on the forehead. "I love you."_

Just thinking about it made Puck's eyes water. "You have to wake up Quinn," he said to himself. "You just have to."

**A/N Hope the Puck/Quinn convo was the kind of thing you were looking for- and cassdsassyangel, thanks for the idea to put it in, I love how it turned out! **


	17. Just One Night

For the rest of the night Rachel, Puck and the kids enjoyed each other's company. After dinner, Puck sat with the kids and watched a movie and then at 8pm, he helped Rachel put them to bed. After the kids were asleep Puck and Rachel talked on the couch.

"Brennan was a fool to leave," Puck said as he passed the bowl of popcorn to Rachel. The two were watching a movie.

"Noah, you know why he left and I don't blame him," Rachel said as she slid the bowl back to Puck.

"I know, but still he left you and a beautiful baby girl. He made the stupidest mistake in his life," Puck said. "I would know I did it too."

"But you are making it right and going back," Rachel said. "I only hope one day Brennan does too. If not for me then I hope he comes back for the kids. I know Ian isn't his but Brennan is the only father he ever knew. I know he loves that little boy as much as Ian loves him. I just hope he comes back for the kids."

"If he's any kind of decent man," Puck said, "he'll come back. He is losing a hell of a family if he doesn't."

Rachel smiled. "Thanks Noah, that means a lot," she said.

"No Rachel, thank you," Puck said as he leaned over to kiss Rachel on the cheek.

"What was that for?" Rachel asked. She didn't seem mad, just surprised.

"That was for convincing me to go home to Beth," Puck said before planting another kiss on Rachel. "And that was for letting me stay here."

Puck kissed Rachel again. "That was for being a good friend," Puck said. "And this, this is for calling me Noah. You are the only one who calls me that and I kind of like it. You have been a great friend and Brennan never should have left and well this is for everything."

Puck pulled Rachel in close and kissed her again, this time on the lips. The kiss lasted a few seconds before Rachel pulled away.

"Noah, what are you doing?" Rachel asked.

"I'm doing what I should have done in high school Rach," Puck told her. "I know you always had this thing for Finn and I don't know, maybe you still do but I kind of always liked you. You were different and it took me until now to realize but I want to be with you Rachel Berry."

Rachel was stunned. She never knew Puck felt that way.

"Noah, are you sure?" she asked. "I think you are just confused. Quinn is in the hospital and you just decided to be a dad to Beth and I helped you out. I think you are just confused. Besides you are going back to Lima soon and my life is in New York. I love you too Noah, but this just isn't a good time."

Rachel began to walk upstairs but Puck stopped her. "Rachel wait," he said as he grabbed her arm. "Just one night, I think we both need this. I know Brennan just left and I'm scared to death that Quinn might die because I don't really know how I feel about her. Everything has gotten me so crazy and I just need one night Rach, just one night."

Rachel thought about Puck's offer. Normally she would have said no without even having to think about it but for some reason this was different. Brennan had just left and she had unresolved feelings. She hadn't seen Noah since high school but being with his for the past weeks brought back why she loved him in the first place.

"Just one night," Rachel said as she turned around to face Puck. She kissed him on the lips and led him up to the bedroom.


	18. A Much Awaited Reunion

Finn and Beth got off the plane at the New York City Airport.

"Alright Beth," he said, "time for leg two of our journey."

"Are we close to being able to see daddy?" Beth asked.

"It is only a twenty minute ride," Finn said. "We'll be with daddy in no time."

Together the two of them got into a cab and headed for the location where Puck was staying which unbeknownst to him was Rachel's house. As the cab came to a stop, Finn was surprised at the neighborhood.

"I didn't really picture Puck as a Broadway kind of guy," he said to himself as he grabbed Beth's bag from the cab.

The little girl ran up to the door as she ran ahead of Finn. She rang the doorbell and waited patiently for an answer.

When Rachel came to the door, Beth was surprised to say the least.

"You're not my daddy," Beth said as she crossed her arms across her chest.

At first Rachel was puzzled but then she noticed the blonde hair and bright blue eyes. "Oh, I haven't seen you since you were a baby," Rachel said. "You must be Beth."

"How do you know my name" Beth asked, "and where is my daddy? Are you daddy's new girlfriend? Is that why he left mommy?"

The little girl had so many questions but Rachel didn't really have any answers for her. "I'm a friend of your daddy's," Rachel said. "My name is,"

"Rachel Berry," Finn said, cutting her off.

"You know her too, Uncle Finn?" Beth asked.

"She was a really good friend of mine Beth," Finn said.

"I didn't think I would run into you like this Rachel but we're actually looking for Puck and I guess we have the wrong address," Finn said as he began to walk down the steps. He almost got to the cab before he heard a voice from inside the house which made him turn around.

"Hey Rach, Bentley is up," Puck said as he walked to the door holding Rachel's one year old.

"Puck," Finn said at the sight of his friend. He had so many thoughts running through his mind of why Puck was with Rachel but he brushed them all off as he remembered why he came to New York in the first place.

"Daddy!" Beth screamed as she ran and gave Puck a hug. Rachel smiled sweetly as she took Bentley from Puck's arms and allowed him to pick up his daughter.

"Beth," Puck said as he picked up his little girl and gave her a big hug. He stroked her blonde hair and kissed her on the forehead before putting her down.

Beth looked around confused at what she saw. She was excited to see Puck but when she saw the other baby in his arms she became puzzled. When Puck put her down she assumed it was so he could pick up the other baby again. She began to cry and then ran to Finn.

"Why are you crying Beth?" he asked her.

"Daddy doesn't want me," she said as she hugged Finn. "He has a new baby and new family. That must be why he left, Uncle Finn. He doesn't want me because he wants this new family."

Beth continued to cry as Finn held her close. Puck watched as he rubbed her back and said something to her quietly to make her smile.

"Go wait in the cab Beth," Finn told the little girl. "I have to talk to your father."

"She doesn't have to wait in the cab," Rachel offered. "She can come inside."

"NO!" Beth screamed. "I want to stay with you Uncle Finn, please," she said as she clung tightly to Finn.

"I'll just be a few minutes Beth," Finn promised.

"At least sit on the porch sweetie," Rachel said.

Beth seemed satisfied with this as she sat on the steps and waited for Finn to finish talking with his friends.

"Unbelievable," Finn said as he walked with Puck to the backyard. He made sure to go out of earshot so that Beth couldn't hear him.

"What are you doing Puck?" Finn asked. "First you leave your daughter to come to New York and now you are playing house with Rachel and her kids. She has a husband you know and how could you do this to Beth? How could you leave her to go to another family, one that you have no right to? Rachel's kids aren't yours and she isn't yours either."

"Chill out Finn," Puck said. "Look it's not like that. First off I know Rachel isn't mine and in case you were wondering she isn't yours either. I left Lima because I couldn't handle everything that was happening. Finn I was scared okay. I don't want Quinn to die and I have no idea how to be a dad to Beth. I've missed seven years and this little girl is like a stranger to me. I don't know her likes or dislikes or anything about her. So I bolted. I didn't have any intention to come to Rachel Berry but she was the only person I knew in New York so I looked her up. She told me I could stay with her until I was done my work at the NYPD. That's all I swear. Brennan and her got divorced a few months ago so I was helping her take care of the kids in exchange for her letting me stay here. And before you jump to anymore conclusions Finn, Rachel convinced me to come home and be Beth's father. She said no matter what you or Quinn do or say, no one can change the fact that Beth is mine. She's right Finn. I never thought about it before but she is right. I know this is a bad time to say this but I will fight for her in court if I have to. She is my daughter and I'm taking her home with me."

Finn took a minute to take in what Puck said but then realized this was exactly what he wanted.

"That's great Puck," Finn said. "All I wanted to do was come here and convince you to go home to your daughter and I guess Rachel did that for me but I don't care. As long as you go home to Beth then that is all that matters. I'm glad you are stepping up. Also I'll talk to Beth and tell her about the misunderstanding. Let me talk to her first and then she is all yours."

"That's a good idea," Puck said. "She trusts you and doesn't know me yet. Just make sure you tell her I love her and want to be her dad."

"Tell me yourself," Beth said as she appeared at the top of the patio. She ran up and gave Puck a hug.

"I love you Beth," Puck said.

"I love you too daddy and I'm sorry I was mad at you before," Beth said to Puck.

"Oh baby, I should be apologizing to you," Puck said as he continued to hug Beth. "I never should have stopped coming around. I love you so much baby girl and I am sorry I missed so much of your life. I'm never leaving again, I promise."

Beth squeezed Puck tightly. "I'll never leave either," she said.

Finn watched the father and daughter embrace and reconnect and he couldn't help but smile. He decided to give them some privacy and use this opportunity to catch up with Rachel.


	19. Getting to Re Know You

"So Rach, how have things been?" Finn asked as he came into her house.

"Could be better, could be worse," Rachel told him. "Brennan and I got divorced a few months ago so it has been tough being a single mom to two kids. I never realized it would be so difficult and I have so much more respect for Quinn now especially the fact that she did it when she was 16 years old. It is unbelievable. How is she by the way?"

"Could be better, could be worse," Finn said as he took a sip from the glass of water Rachel placed in front of him. "She's still in the coma but I guess on the plus side she hasn't gotten any worse. I mean it has been three weeks and she hasn't woken up yet which isn't a good sign either but at least her condition isn't deteriorating."

"I guess that is good to hear," Rachel said unsure if Quinn's condition remaining the same was good or not. "It is just so tragic though what happened and her daughter, I mean I can't even begin to imagine what would happen if she lost her mother."

"I don't want to have to think about that," Finn admitted. "I know it is a possibility she won't wake up and every single day that goes by her chances of waking up get worse, but I can't tell Beth that her mom might not wake up. She's been through so much and I don't want to worry her unless I have to. The doctors told me to give it until the end of the month and then if she doesn't wake up by then, well then I guess I have to tell her parents because they will have some decisions to make."

"I know this is tough on you Finn," Rachel said as she rubbed his arm. "But you have really stepped up big time. After everything that happened between you and Quinn, it is clear you still love her and her daughter and I'm sure Quinn is so grateful knowing that Beth had you to care for her while Puck was trying to figure things out."

"I guess you are right Rachel, I think, I mean I know I did the right thing reuniting Puck with his daughter," Finn said unconvincingly. He wasn't sure if this was the right thing but as he looked to see Puck and Beht playing, it made him feel a little better about his decision. "I mean look at them," Finn said as both he and Rachel looked out the window to see Puck and Beth playing together. "But part of me still always wishes she was my daughter. I want to be her dad but I know Puck is and he deserves to be with his daughter. Part of me is still going to miss her though and that part of me doesn't want to give her up."

Finn began to cry and Rachel gave him a big hug. "It's going to be okay Finn," she assured him. "I know Puck and Quinn won't keep you out of Beth's life. You will always be a big part of it, I'm sure."

"That would mean the world to me," Finn said as he slowly began to pull away from Rachel's embrace. He took his hand and slowly caressed her cheek. He felt the urge to kiss her but he didn't, he couldn't. He had so many unresolved feelings about Quinn that it wouldn't be fair to Rachel. Instead, he pulled away and changed the topic.

"So how are you Rach?" he asked as he sat back down on the chair. "I mean I'm sorry that Brennan left but I haven't seen you since freshmen year in college. There's a lot to catch up on like the kids. I didn't know you had kids."

"Yeah," Rachel said. "Ian is four and Bentley is one. They really are the sweetest and most wonderful children."

"With you as a mom, I'm sure they are," Finn said. "I don't see how Brennan could have left his kids though."

"About that," Rachel began to say before changing her thought. "We had some marital problems that even the kids weren't enough to solve. We are actually trying to work out some sort of agreement for him to have visiting rights. I mean he is their father and I can't shut him out."

"I understand," Finn said. "So this means you are single now?"

"Yes, I suppose it does," Rachel answered as playfully as Finn asked.

"Do you remember our deal? In three years we said that if both of us were single we would start up a relationship again," Finn reminded Rachel.

"I didn't forget," Rachel said, "but honestly Finn this isn't a good time. I mean I love you but I just got divorced and Quinn, you obviously still love her and have some feelings you need to work out. Also nothing has really changed since college. My life is still in New York and yours is in Lima now. We were great together in high school but I just don't think we could make a relationship work now because both of us have changed."

"You're probably right Rach," Finn said as he smiled at her. "Besides I don't think I could ever leave Beth. I know she isn't mine but still, she is the closest I have to a kid and I could never leave my child behind. I love Beth like my own and I think I'll always treat her as my own. If I'm lucky enough to have kids of my own one day, I'll cherish every minute like I should have with Beth. I never should have left Quinn. Even though Beth wasn't mine, I loved her like my own and I think Quinn and I could have made it work."

Rachel's stomach knotted a little as she contemplated telling Finn the truth. She decided against it and just nodded. "You'll make a great dad one day Finn Hudson," she told him before leaving the room to go tend to Bentley.

Finn continued to watch Beth and Puck fool around in the yard before he got up to go sit in the living room. He noticed Rachel's son was playing with some toys on the floor.

"Hi buddy," Finn said as he sat next to the boy. "What are you playing with?"

The boy didn't say anything. Finn was surprised because knowing Rachel Berry; he thought her kids would be talkative. He must have gotten the whole shy thing from Brennan, Finn guessed.

"Are those cars?" Finn asked again, trying to get the boy to talk. "I love cars; I have a blue one just like that at home."

Ian looked up at Finn and smiled. He handed him the blue car.

"For me?" Finn said. "Do I get to play with this one?"

Ian nodded his head. He started playing with the red and yellow cars and then instructed Finn on how to play his game. Finn played with the blue car much to Ian's satisfaction. He seemed to be so happy with how Finn played the game that he gave him another car, this time a green one to join the game.

Finn sat happily and played with Ian for about twenty minutes before Beth returned to the room.

"Uncle Finn!" she screamed as she gave him a big hug. "I had so much fun outside with daddy. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Oh you are certainly welcome Beth!" Finn said as he hugged her back. "Do you want to play cars with me and Ian? Is that okay with you Ian?"

The little boy thought about it for a minute before running upstairs. When he came down he handed Beth a pink car. "Pink is for girls," Ian said as he gave Beth the car.

Finn laughed as this was the first thing Ian said to him since he started playing cars with him.

Rachel came down the steps and was greeted by Puck. They watched the kids play with the cars for a few minutes before Puck leaned over to talk to Rachel.

"He doesn't let anyone play with those cars, not even his sister," Rachel mused as she watched both Finn and Beth with cars in their hands.

"You've got to tell him Rach," Puck said. "He deserves to know."

Rachel looked at Puck. "I can't do it Noah, not now. I know he deserves to know but something doesn't feel right."

"This is totally your decision Rach and I won't say anything if you don't want me to but I still think he has the right to know the truth," Puck said as he looked at his daughter play with Rachel's son. "Look at them."

Rachel looked at how comfortable Finn was around the kids and thought about telling him the truth. She couldn't though she decided. It wasn't the right time.

"When Quinn wakes up, I'll tell him," Rachel said to Puck. "Right now she needs him more than I do and a few more days or weeks won't hurt, I hope."

"I hope you are right Rach," Puck said as he took Bentley from Rachel's arms. "Go tell the kids its dinner time."

"And Finn?" Rachel asked.

"Oh I thought I said go tell the kids. You know he's the biggest kid of all," Puck said as he smiled at Rachel.

Rachel laughed. "I suppose you're right Noah."


	20. The Same Flavors

After dinner, Puck and Finn took Ian and Beth for ice cream. Puck spent a lot of time just talking to his daughter and he let Finn play cars some more with Rachel's son.

"What's your favorite ice cream flavor Ian?" Finn asked as they got to the order window.

"Chocolate," the boy answered.

"No way," Finn said. "That is my favorite too!"

Ian smiled as Finn gave him a high five. He ordered their ice cream and then ordered for Puck and Beth.

"Mint chocolate chip is my favorite," Beth said when Finn handed her the cone. She was shocked that he knew it without her having to tell him. "How did you know?"

"Well, whenever your mom and I got ice cream she always got mint chocolate chip. It was her favorite and," Finn paused before pulling out another mint chocolate chip cone and handing it Puck, "it is your daddy's favorite too if I remember correctly."

"Mint chocolate chip would be correct," Puck said as Finn handed him the cone.

"Our flavors are the same," Beth said smiling.

"Yeah I guess they are," Puck said as he smiled at Beth. He never knew what her favorite flavor of ice cream was. He didn't really know much about his little girl at all. He was learning though and with every new fact he learned he felt so much more like a father.

"Ian and I have the same flavor too Beth," Finn pointed out as the four year old gave yet another smile.

"Whoa, that is cool," Beth said as she gave Ian a high five.

After their ice cream Finn and Puck took the kids home. Beth held Ian's hand as she walked into Rachel's house.

"Isn't it funny how well Ian and Beth are getting along?" Finn asked as he watched the kids run inside.

"Considering we are talking about Quinn's daughter and Rachel's son," Puck pointed out, "it is more than funny."

Finn laughed. "Yeah those two weren't exactly best friends," he said.

"More like avowed enemies," Puck said as he followed Finn into the house.

When he got inside, Puck thought of the reason why his daughter and Rachel's son might be good friends. He wanted to tell Finn but he couldn't. He just laughed at the irony.

**A/N Irony? Hmm, I wonder why Puck would find that situation ironic…**


	21. Two Guys, Two Girls

**A/N Long chapter ahead lol. It doesn't answer any questions but it does set up the events to happen later in the story. Enjoy!**

**Danielle: Sorry it took me so long to respond to your review! I agree this sort of story could have happened and I guess that is why I ventured to write it. Hope you are still enjoying it and thanks again for the review!**

**Char: thanks for the review- glad you like the story!**

Rachel told Finn and Beth that they were welcome to stay the night because it was getting late. Finn thought about leaving but when he saw Beth asleep on the couch next to Bentley he decided to take Rachel up on her offer.

He helped her take the kids up to bed and then came back downstairs to talk to Puck.

"I guess now is as good a time as any to talk about Beth," Finn said.

"Yeah, I was meaning to bring that up," Puck said. "Look Finn, I'm really sorry about all the stuff I said before. I really appreciate what you have been doing for my daughter and I know I freaked out at you when I found out she was staying with you but truth is I'm grateful that you stepped up to the plate when I couldn't."

"That means a lot Puck," Finn said, "and I was glad to help out. I love that little girl like she was my own Puck and I love getting to spend time with her. She is the closest I've ever been to being a father and she is just such a perfect little girl."

Puck sighed. He wanted to tell him, oh did he want to tell him.

"Yeah she is perfect isn't she?" Puck said as he blushed as only a proud father could. "She really is the best of me and Quinn and I love her so much. I know you love her too and I want you to be a part of her life. I know it was tough on you having to find out after five months of believing she was yours that she wasn't. I know I screwed up and that Quinn and I really broke your heart by what we did. I blame myself for that and I'm just so thankful you have forgiven me and that we are able to be friends again. I know sometimes I made it seem like it was your fault but I don't blame you for anything that happened with Beth. I don't even really blame Quinn. I know she wanted you and not me at first but I chose to leave and not come back. It was all my fault and I can't blame anyone but myself."

"Don't blame yourself Puck," Finn said. "You made a mistake but it is over now. I saw the way Beth looked at you. She is so excited to have her daddy back. That is all that matters now that you are back in her life. Forget about the past because I'm sure Beth already has."

"I just hope Quinn can forgive me," Puck said.

"I'm sure she will be just as happy as Beth that you are her father again," Finn said.

"If she wakes up," Puck added softly as he walked into the living room.

"She'll wake up Puck," Finn said as he tried to make himself believe it. "She has to."

"I owe her an apology and if she doesn't wake up I don't know what I'm going to do," Puck said. "How am I supposed to tell our seven year old daughter that her mom is not coming back? I don't want to have to do that. Beth has been through too much and she can't lose her mother too. I can't lose Quinn. I don't know Finn but I have so many things I want to say to her, so much I want to tell her. I still love her and I think I always will. I guess I have these unresolved feelings and I feel like I just need to talk to her."

Finn looked at Puck and knew that once again the two of them had their sights set on the same girl.

"I feel the same way Puck," Finn said. "Seeing her again just brought back these unresolved feelings and I don't know I think I love her too. I think I always will. I don't know if I necessarily want to date her again but I think I need to talk to her about how I feel."

"So once again, you and I are after the same girl?" Puck asked with a hint of concern in his voice.

"I guess so," Finn said with the same concern in his voice.

The two other times both of them were interested in the same girl it ended badly. First with Quinn and then with Rachel and both times it seemed to end with Puck being the bad guy who the girls used to cheat with and Finn being the heartbroken boy who was cheated on.

"You have a kid with her though," Finn said. "If anyone deserves to be with her it is you."

"I can't do this to you, not again Finn," Puck said. "Every time we fight over a girl you end up hurt. I'm determined to make it bros over hoes this time. I know we both love Quinn but I can't and won't let her get between our friendship. If it means neither of us dates her again then so be it."

"Puck, the circumstances are different," Finn said. "You and Quinn have a daughter together. You guys deserve a chance at being a family and I won't stand in the way."

"Look I don't want to talk about this stuff Finn," Puck told his friend. "We'll let Quinn decide. Maybe she won't want to date either of us."

Finn laughed. "I doubt it," he said.

It was quiet for a few minutes before Puck spoke up. "It won't happen the same way as last time Finn," he said as if he was trying to convince himself more than he was Finn. "I promise you that it won't."

"You've grown up Puck," Finn said as he smiled at his friend. "We both have and I'm sure Quinn has too. I know it will be different this time. I know neither of you will hurt me again."

"I promised you that day you confronted me about almost sleeping with Rachel that I would never hurt you again," Puck said to Finn as serious as he had ever said anything in his life, "and I won't. You are my best friend Finn and I swear to you on my life that I will never let a girl come in between us again."

"I know you won't," Finn said. "Besides if things don't work out with Quinn, Rachel is available. Don't think I didn't notice her wearing your tee-shirt this morning. I know you two must have been together."

"Oh about that," Puck said. He didn't want Finn to know he and Rachel had a one night stand. It wasn't that he wasn't interested in Rachel because he was but both of them had other people on their mind. Puck figured that Rachel still wanted Finn and Rachel thought that he still had feelings for Quinn. The truth was Puck found himself in love with two girls. He knew he had to find out how Quinn felt before doing anything with Rachel because of Beth. He wanted to give his daughter a home and a family. He owed it to Beth and to Quinn. He also knew that Rachel still loved Finn. They had so much history together and well he didn't know it but they had even more than just history. He knew that Finn still loved her too and even though he loved Quinn, Puck thought that Rachel would always be the one he wanted. At the same time however, Puck also knew that Quinn would always belong to Finn and that part of him would always want to be with her.

"Puck, are you okay?" Finn asked.

Puck realized he had zoned off thinking about everything. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said. "Finn what I wanted to say was that the thing with me and Rachel, it was just a one time thing. Both of us have had a lot on our mind and we just needed one night."

"You still love her don't you Puck?" Finn asked.

Puck sighed. He couldn't lie to his best friend. "I do Finn, but I love Quinn too," Puck admitted. "I have so much on my mind and so many different feelings to work out with regards to Quinn and Rachel that I just don't know what to do. You love her too Finn, I know you do."

"I love them both," Finn told his friend. "With Quinn I don't know how to describe it but I just can't get her off of my mind. Even after everything happened I could never get her out of my mind and I never stopped loving her. With Rachel, I don't know man but there is just something there. I love her too and even when I was with Quinn there was always something about Rachel that made me attracted to her. If I had a chance to do it over again I don't know what I would do or who I would choose."

"You'd choose Rachel if you knew the truth," Puck mumbled.

"What?" Finn asked.

"Nothing," Puck said. "It's just funny that once again we both like the same two girls, the two girls that have meant the most to us, the two girls who we have both had ups and downs with. Quinn and Rachel are two very special girls Finn and I think we are lucky to have both of them in our lives. It is just picking one over the other that makes it all difficult."

"I'm with you on that one Puck," Finn said. "I wish I could take both of them and make them one person."

"That would be hot," Puck said.

Finn laughed at what Puck said. "You would say that," he said.

Puck smiled at Finn and then realized he didn't even talk to him about Beth like he intended.

"Finn I got to tell you something," Puck said. "It's about Beth. It is kind of the reason I wanted to talk to you in the first place."

"Oh okay," Finn said.

"Right now the only things keeping me in Lima are Quinn and my daughter and I don't know what is going to happen with Quinn," Puck said. "When she wakes up, we'll have some decisions to make but until then I'm going to stay in New York and I want Beth to stay with me."

Finn was shocked when he heard that. He didn't really want Puck to take Beth to New York but he knew he had no choice. He was her father and although it was going to crush Finn with how much he would miss her, he knew he couldn't say anything.

"Yeah, okay," Finn said. "You don't have to ask, she is your daughter and not mine."

"I know Finn," Puck said, "I just thought I should let you know because of how you have been taking care of her. I wish I didn't have to do this Finn but I think my life is in New York. I want to bring Quinn and Beth here with me when the time is right. I have to stay here for a few more weeks to close everything up with this case I am working but as soon as I am done I'll be home to get Beth and her stuff if Quinn isn't awake yet. I have to stay here but I want you to take Beth back to your house until I come home. Can you do that for me Finn?"

"Of course," Finn answered, "but I think you should let Beth stay here with you. I mean you two just reconnected and I'm afraid she might think you will never come for her. I can go back to Lima and bring her stuff back. Let her stay here. I think that will be the best thing for both of you."

"You really are the best friend anyone could ask for," Puck said as he hugged Finn. "I owe you so much."

"You don't owe me anything Puck," Finn said. "Just be a good father and we can call it even."

"Deal," Puck said.

"It looks like you two have definitely gotten over your issues," Rachel said as she appeared in the living room after Bentley finally fell asleep.

"Better than ever," Puck said as he smiled at Finn who smiled back.

"Rach, I'm going to get going first thing in the morning but Beth is going to stay here with Puck. I'll be back with her stuff in a few days," Finn said.

"Okay," Rachel said, "but you really are welcome to stay as long as you like when you come back."

"Thanks Rach," Finn said, "but the job needs me back."

"I understand Finn," Rachel said as she showed him to the guest room. "Just promise after you bring Beth's stuff by that you won't be a stranger in the future. I've missed you and I wish we kept in contact after the break-up."

"I should have called you Rach, but I don't know I guess I still missed you so much," Finn admitted. "I never wanted us to break-up and I never stopped loving you. I promise I won't be a stranger. I miss you too."

Rachel smiled and then said goodnight to Finn before she went to bed herself. She knew he would be gone before she was up in the morning and she hoped that when he came back she would have the courage to tell him the truth, the truth that she had avoided for four years. She hoped that when he came back with Beth's stuff she would have the courage to tell him about Ian, to tell him that Ian was his son.


	22. Not Wasting Any More Time

**A/N So the truth is out, Ian is Finn's son. Didn't get many thoughts on it last chapter so I'm just wondering, do you guys like it/hate it? Let me know, because if enough people are against it, it isn't too late to change it. I'd rather keep it because it provides incredible opportunities for the future and well even sequel type opportunities, but up to you guys. I've already gotten my satisfaction out of what I wrote so the rest isn't for me, it's for all of you!**

**Also, don't look now but huge development coming in 3,2,1…**

Finn left early the next morning before anyone else was awake. He went into Beth's room and kissed her goodbye. He left a note explaining that he would be back next to her bed. Next he said goodbye to Rachel. He also kissed her on the forehead. He got some breakfast and then left for the airport.

He was in such a hurry when he left that he failed to look at his phone. He didn't realize until he got home that he had seven voicemail and fifteen text messages. Some were from Kurt and others from his mom. There was even a call from the hospital.

All of the messages said the same thing, "Quinn is awake."

Finn rushed to the hospital the second he read the message. It was almost 11 pm when he unpacked his bags but after waiting three weeks, he couldn't wait a minute longer. He had to see Quinn.

Finn was at the hospital not even fifteen minutes later. He told the nurses at the desk where he was going and they didn't stop him. He passed her doctor in the hallway.

"I suppose you heard the good news," the doctor said.

"Yes," Finn answered. "I just got home and I rushed over here as soon as I found out."

"Normally I would tell you no visitors because she has been through hell but she just woke up and I know you have been waiting. Just make it short, okay," the doctor told Finn.

"I won't stay long, I promise," Finn told the doctor. He continued down the hallway until he reached Quinn's door. He opened it slowly and she immediately smiled when she saw him.

"Quinn," he said as he stood by the door.

"Finn," she said back.

It took him a second to gather his emotions but when he saw her bright green eyes and her precious smile he nearly fell apart.

"Oh thank God you are awake," he said as he ran to her side. "I was so afraid you wouldn't wake up and I didn't know what I was going to do. After the accident and seeing you again, a lot of feelings came back and I couldn't see how I would live without you. I didn't realize how much I miss you and still love you and I just was so afraid you would die and I would never get a chance to tell you how I feel. I love you Quinn Fabray. I love you so, so much."

Finn started to cry and only stopped when he felt Quinn's hand resting on top of his. He looked up to see her smiling at him. "I love you Finn Hudson," she said. "Everything is going to be okay."

"After everything that happened you are still the one telling me everything is going to be okay," Finn said. "I don't know how I ever broke up with you."

At that moment Finn realized what his feelings were. He loved Quinn. He wanted to be with Quinn. It wasn't Rachel that he wanted, it was Quinn.

"We lost so much time and then I thought I would never see you again," he said. "I don't want to waste any more time Quinn. I want to be with you. I love you."

She smiled at him as he kissed her forehead.

He could tell she was very tired and still not sure of everything that happened with regards to being in the coma. He decided to let her rest.

"Quinn, I'm going to go," Finn said. "I'll be back first thing in the morning but I want to let you get your rest tonight."

He began to walk away but he heard her soft voice and it made him turn around.

"Stay with me," she said. "Please don't leave."

"I'll never leave you Quinn," he said as he sat down next to her.

She motioned for him to lie next to her and he did. He stroked her hair and held her close until she fell asleep. After he knew she was sleeping he fell asleep too right next to her and right by her side.

**A/N Adorable right? All you Fuinn fans must love this, I know I did : ) So yes Finn and Quinn are in happy bliss… for now…**


	23. The Chapter You've All Been Fuinning For

**A/N: Okay, now it's time for me to bore you a bit with a little statement, but there are a few points I want to make. First off, I appreciate all of you reviewing last chapter, (I will respond to each individually). I kind of already knew most of you were very pro Fuinn haha but the reviews helped. Honestly, even though the whole Ian being Finn's son didn't go over particularly well I'm going to keep it. You just are going to think I'm crazy but that sets up the main story in the sequel- yes it is out, there is a sequel and a mostly finished one at that.**

**Another thing I want to say is that I've been experiencing a bit of writer's block. Yes, I know this story is already finished but I wanted to wait to put up more chapters in case I changed the direction I want to take it in. You guys are going to think I am crazy but I have the ideas to take this up to a sequel, trequel and then a fourth installment. Problem is, I don't yet know how I want to use said ideas. **

**Also, I'm starting to lose a little inspiration in the Fuinn department which may become obvious if I choose to continue a sequel after this story. Glee kind of killed it with that stupid proposal two weeks ago and I've recently started to lean toward a little bit of a Quick side and the seemingly inescapable Finchel. Like I said, that idea will pop up a lot in the sequel etc. That said, I will promise you all one thing: I don't know how and it might take some time, but you should like the outcome. As part of my policy, I'm not going to reveal which couple is endgame and actually, I don't know myself. I know what I want to happen but that is today. It all might change come tomorrow. But I can say pretty confidently, if you stay with me and weather the waters just like Finn and Quinn do, you'll like it. There are probably parts you'll hate or question or disagree with but in the end, most of you should be happy. **

**And in order to keep you all happy, I have an idea. If Quinn and Finn end up together, it is safe to say there might be a baby in their future. I have a girl and boy name in mind but I'm not set on them, especially the girl name. So if you guys want, recommend a boy and girl name in your reviews. I will take all suggestions from this chapter up until the final chapter which may be only five or six away or something and then I will pick one of the names to be the name of Quinn and Finn's baby, that is if they have one…**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

Finn woke up the next morning and realized that Quinn was still sleeping. He stared at her and just watched her breathe for about twenty minutes before she woke up and smiled at him.

"Morning," she said as she looked at him. She was happy he stayed with her.

"Morning to you too," Finn said smiling.

"Thanks for staying with me last night," she said. "I really appreciate it. I don't normally feel scared but after just waking up from a coma, I guess I just needed someone to stay with me to make sure I would wake up the next morning."

Finn hated to see Quinn so vulnerable but he had to admit to himself that she was so cute when she was.

"I was happy to stay," Finn said. "I know you aren't the scared type but after three weeks of being in a coma, I can understand."

"Three weeks?" Quinn asked as she was afraid of how much time she missed. "Beth, what has been going on with Beth for three weeks? I've been here, where has my daughter been?"

Finn could tell that Quinn was starting to panic. He wanted to avoid her having a panic attack so he held her close and let her hug him.

"Everything is okay Quinn," he said. "Beth is fine. After the accident she had a broken arm and the doctors put a cast on it. Kurt came and picked her up from the hospital. He heard about what happened and made sure to come home so he could take care of her until he could make other arrangements. Unfortunately none of your relatives could take care of her and Puck, well he couldn't do it, so Kurt and I took her back to my mom's house. Mom and I have been staying with her since the accident. She has been safe and with us."

Quinn didn't say anything for a few minutes. She just stared at Finn in both awe and amazement of what he had done for her and her daughter. She hugged him tightly and began to cry.

"Don't cry Quinn, everything is okay," Finn said as he rocked her back and forth. Both of them were now sitting up on her bed.

"These are happy tears Finn," Quinn said as continued to hug him. "I don't know how I can ever repay you or begin to thank you for what you did for Beth. You never cease to amaze me Finn and this is just above and beyond the call of duty. You could have just let her go into foster care but you stepped up where you totally didn't have to. I lied to you and cheated on you and Beth isn't yours but you still stepped up at the time when I needed someone to. I will never forget this Finn and I will never be able to thank you enough."

Finn could tell Quinn was getting choked up upon remembering the past. He realized that she never forgave herself for what she did to him and that she was still so heartbroken. He loved her for this. Despite everything she still felt horrible for what she did to him and he loved her for this. Her emotions and loving heart just made him see past all of the mistakes she made. She wasn't perfect but neither was he. Finn knew at this moment that Quinn was the one for him. He loved her and never stopped and despite how much Rachel meant to him, his heart would always belong to Quinn.

"You don't have to thank me Quinn because I was happy to do it," Finn told her. "I know stuff happened in the past but I have faced that, we have faced that and I realized I did get over it. It took me until now. It took until seeing your little girl and practically raising her for three weeks to realize how much I miss you and how much I love you. I realized I forgave you and that I made a mistake. I left you alone when you were pregnant and I will never forgive myself for that. I left you again when you had a baby because I had so many feelings and I was just so confused. Part of me felt that I couldn't raise another man's baby and that it was just better for us to not be together," Finn said as he paused before continuing.

"I was wrong Quinn," he admitted a few seconds later. "I was wrong to leave you both times. I was mad at you for what you did but it was just a mistake and I shouldn't have let that destroy our relationship. The truth is I love Beth like my own and I always will. I missed that little girl and I hate myself for staying away for so many years. I want to be a part of her life and I can't believe I missed so much. I shouldn't have ignored you for so long. It shouldn't have taken an accident for me to finally realize my feelings but here I am pouring my heart out. I'd do anything for you and your daughter. I love you so much and you mean the world to me."

Finn lifted Quinn's head which was resting in his chest and kissed her on the lips. "I want us to be together," he said. "I want us to be a family."

"I'd like that Finn," Quinn said as she kissed him. "Can I see Beth? I miss her so much."

Finn froze for a minute remembering the events that had transpired the past few nights.

"Beth is actually with Puck" Finn said, "in New York."

Quinn seemed confused. "Did you say Puck?" she asked.

"Yeah, it's kind of a long story," Finn said, "but I managed to convince Puck to step up and be a dad again. Both of us weren't sure if you would ever wake up and he realized that his daughter needed her father. I got into a fight with him about two weeks ago over Beth and he just kind of freaked out. He left to go to New York to start working for their police department. I took Beth there a few nights ago to find him and we did. The two of them reconciled and it was absolutely amazing how quickly both of them fell in love with each other. Puck told me he wanted Beth to stay with him in New York until you woke up. Then he said that he wanted to talk to you about potentially moving there with him and Beth. He wanted to get out of Lima and give his daughter a better life than he had."

Quinn smiled when Finn told her that Puck was back in Beth's life. All Quinn had ever wanted was for Beth to have the best daddy in the world. At first she thought this was Finn but Puck showed her that he could be this person. That is why she changed her mind and decided to let him in Beth's life. She was so happy that he had finally decided to be in Beth's life and she knew that once again she owed it all to Finn.

"Thank you Finn," Quinn said. "Thank you for giving my daughter her father. I know that must have been hard for you but I just wanted Puck to be involved and now he is. I know he will be a great dad but I also know you would have been the best dad Beth could ever have. I will be sorry until the day that I die that I took that chance away from you."

"That means the world to me that you would say that," Finn said as he was touched by Quinn's words. "I'm going to call Puck right now and tell him you are awake and tell him to bring Beth home."

"It's okay Finn," Quinn said. "She just reconnected with Puck. Let her stay with him for a while. I'll see her in a few days but right now, I just want to spend some time with you."

Finn smiled and kissed Quinn again.

"Just hold me," she asked.

He complied and hugged her as tightly as he could.


	24. Trying Again

**A/N: Yay to last night's glee! That sampling, albeit very small of Fuinn and Quick, gave me a few more ideas moving forward for this and maybe another story. Hopefully this means I will be able to start posting regularly again!**

For the next week, Finn went to the hospital every day after work to see Quinn. They spent hours together just talking and catching up. It felt like they were just picking up their relationship five years later, Finn thought. He knew they had broken up and since then a lot had changed with both of them but for some reason when they got back together it felt as if they were never apart. Finn loved this feeling. He loved how he could just reconcile with Quinn and leave the past behind him. For once, he felt like him and Quinn had finally gotten past everything. He felt like they could get through anything now as long as they were together and together they were as Finn and Quinn started dating again.

After the week that Finn considered the best of his life, Quinn wanted to see her daughter. Finn offered to pick her up from New York but Quinn wanted to surprise her. They planned their trip to New York and decided to stay with Kurt who was all too pleased to hear that Quinn had woken up from the coma. He planned an entire week for Quinn, Finn, Beth and Puck but Finn suggested they save a vacation trip for later and just make this one a visit. Unfortunately for Kurt, Quinn's doctors agreed.

Finn promised to keep the trip short and to make sure Quinn took it easy the whole time. Kurt managed to convince them to go to one Broadway show which unknown to Quinn and Finn was one that Rachel was in. Finn hadn't told her that Puck and Beth were staying with Rachel. He knew he should have but with her just waking up he didn't want to stress her out too much. He decided to wait until they were in New York to break the news. Finn also knew how excited Quinn was to finally be leaving the hospital and he didn't want anything to ruin that.

She was still recovering from surgery so he wanted to make sure she took it easy. Their plans were to leave for New York the next morning so Finn took Quinn home with him. He wanted to make sure he could care for her so he told her that he wanted her and Beth to move in with him to their apartment. She graciously accepted and he was thrilled that she said yes.

As soon as they got home they went straight to bed. Quinn was tired from all that time spent in the hospital and Finn wanted to make sure they would get up early enough to make their flight. Quinn and Finn spent the night together and Finn felt relieved for the first time in months. Not only was Quinn awake but she was back with him where he knew she belonged. For the first time in weeks, Finn could finally sleep easy.


	25. Welcoming Her Back

**A/N: Firstly, thank you all for being so patient with me. I will respond to your reviews and comments as soon as I get a chance but right now I just wanted to put up this chapter. I've been so busy and have actually held up on posting chapters because I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do next. It would depend on if I got time, but would you guys like to see me go straight into the sequel or rather put up a collection of one-shots of the happy couples that will explain some of the things that happen in between five years and five years part two? Hit the reviews and let me know! Also, I'm still looking for baby names if anybody has any ideas.**

"Quinn can I tell you something?" Finn said after they got on the plane. He decided that Quinn should know about Beth being with Rachel before they got to New York. He didn't want her to be so surprised when they got there that she went into shock.

"Anything Finn," she said.

"I haven't been fully honest with you," he admitted. "Beth has been staying with Puck in New York but I didn't tell you that Puck was actually staying with Rachel."

Quinn didn't say anything for a few seconds and Finn thought that she was angry.

"Oh, okay" she said much to Finn's surprise. "I guess I should thank her then when we get there for helping out with Beth."

"I love you so much," Finn said as he smiled at her. Finn wasn't sure if it was the accident or if Quinn had just matured but he realized she grew a lot since high school. She wasn't mad that Beth was with Rachel but old Quinn; well she would have been furious. Finn loved that Quinn was this new person. It made dating her feel like the first time they ever dated and Finn loved the fact that he got to get to know Quinn and fall in love with her all over again.

When they got to Rachel's place, Quinn could see Beth playing with a little boy in the yard.

"That is Ian," Finn said as he saw who Quinn was looking at. "He is Rachel's son. He is four. Beth just loves him."

Quinn didn't say anything as she ran scenarios in her head. Didn't Rachel and Finn date four years ago she thought? As she watched the little boy closely it became harder and harder for her to keep the thoughts from her mind. She decided to just ask Finn. She didn't want any secrets between them this time.

"Is he yours?" she asked.

Finn looked at her stunned. "No, of course not," he said. "He is Brennan's. Brennan is Rachel's ex-husband."

Quinn was satisfied with this answer. She still thought Ian could be Finn's but she knew if he was Rachel would have told him. She would not have let the opportunity to be with him slip away and with his kid, Rachel would have been able to marry Finn and be with him forever.

"Oh okay," Quinn said as she grabbed Finn's hand. Together they walked up to the door and as soon as they reached the steps Beth came running.

"Uncle Finn, Mama!" she screamed as Finn picked her up. He put her down and then she gave Quinn a big hug.

"I missed you so much mommy," she said as she hugged her mother. "I didn't think you were ever going to wake up. I am so glad you are here. I can't wait to tell daddy. He is going to be so happy and you can…"

Suddenly Beth stopped talking. She noticed Finn's hand holding Quinn's and then realized her hopes of her mom and dad getting back together probably weren't going to happen. "I'll just go get daddy and Auntie Rachel," she said as she ran inside. "Follow me."

Quinn and Finn followed Beth inside and as soon as they walked through the door, Puck noticed exactly what Beth did and that was Finn and Quinn's hands interlocked. He pounded his hand into a fist and he couldn't help but be a little jealous. He knew that this could happen and that he and Finn had talked about it happening but it hurt him more than he expected. He shook his head and shook off his feelings about Quinn. Right now he couldn't focus on Finn and Quinn's relationship. All he cared about was that Quinn was awake. He would finally get the chance to talk to her and work out what had kept them apart for five years.

"Quinn," Puck said as he tried to hide some of the relief and happiness from his face.

"Puck," she responded as Finn went back outside to bring Ian in the house. "It's okay; you don't have to say it. I missed you too."

He loved how she knew what was on his mind. He loved how he never needed to say or do anything and that when she looked into his eyes he knew she could see his soul. He loved everything about her but he hated that he did. He knew he couldn't have her. He knew where her heart belonged.

Puck smiled at her and gave her a huge hug. "I am so glad you are awake," he said as he continued to hold her close. "I didn't think, I mean I don't know what I would do, I mean I'm sorry for how I handled Beth and I just, I'm glad you're here."

Quinn knew exactly what Puck wanted to say and even though he couldn't say it, she could tell how he felt.

"I know Puck," she said as she could see the tears starting to form in his eyes. "I know."

He continued to hug her for a few more minutes but immediately pulled away when Finn came back inside. Both of them could feel the tension that still remained between them and although she loved Finn, part of her still loved Puck too.

"Thanks for taking care of Beth for me," Quinn said as Finn came back to her side.

"It's no problem," Puck said as he found himself once again looking at Finn and Quinn's entwined fingers. "I'm just glad I'm back in her life."

Puck walked away disappointed that Quinn was back with Finn. Secretly, he wanted another chance with her but now that she was with Finn he couldn't tell her that. He promised Finn he would never let a girl come in between them again and even though this was the girl he always loved and shared a child with, if Finn was dating her he decided he just had to let them be happy.

"Finn's back," Puck said as he walked into the kitchen to talk to Rachel. "He brought Quinn with him. They are back together."

"Quinn is awake?" Rachel asked. "That is wonderful and it is good that Finn is happy."

Puck could see Rachel's disappointment. "I know you are disappointed," he said.

"I can see that the feeling is mutual," Rachel added.

"Rach, I don't want to be a jerk or anything," Puck said, "but I thought that Quinn and I could have another chance. We have a daughter together and I thought that might count for something and maybe if you told Finn about Ian…"

"Absolutely not," Rachel said cutting off Puck. "It would be unfair for me to tell him only because I want him back. He is with Quinn now and well although I don't like it, we both have to accept it. I am not going to tell him the truth just to get him back."

"You know it would work though," Puck said smugly.

"Just be happy for them Noah and be happy that your daughter has her mother back," Rachel said before she went into the living room to greet Quinn.


	26. The Not So Perfect Family

**A/N: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I have been meaning to update this for weeks now but I just got so busy and it seemed unimportant and I'm kind of stuff in where I want it to go next but I just got a review the other day that reminded me I had to get a new chapter up for you guys who have been so loyal! I so appreciate it and I'm sorry I haven't been able to deliver my promise of getting a chapter up a day. I hope you guys are still enjoying this story and that the hiatus hasn't been too bad and that you guys are still sticking with me. Anyway, here is the chapter, hope you guys like it!**

Rachel invited Quinn and Finn to stay for dinner and they accepted the invitation. After dinner Finn and Rachel took the kids out for ice cream and Puck volunteered to stay home to make sure Quinn was okay and to watch baby Bentley.

Finn didn't say anything but he felt kind of uncomfortable with Puck and Quinn being alone. It wasn't that he didn't trust them it was just that because of the history there he knew it would take some time before he would be okay with them being alone. He knew they had to talk about Beth though and he hoped that this would be all they talked about.

It was about twenty minutes after Finn and Rachel left with the kids that Puck came downstairs carrying Bentley in his arms. He went into the kitchen and warmed up a bottle for her. When he came back he sat next to Quinn on the couch. It was silence for a few minutes but as Quinn watched Puck with Rachel's little girl she knew she had to say something.

"You're really good with her Puck," Quinn said as she watched as the little girl fell asleep right in Puck's lap.

"Thanks," Puck said.

About five more minutes passed before either of them said anything else but Quinn couldn't take the silence. She knew what had to be said.

"I'm sorry Puck," she blurted out. "I see you with Rachel's baby and you are just so natural at it and I can't help but think it would have been this way if I let you be there for Beth at first. I know I changed my mind and all but I wish I had let you be her father from the beginning."

"It's okay Quinn," Puck said as he let her rest her head on his shoulders. "It hurt at first but I understand why you wanted Finn to be the father. I wanted to prove to you that I could be as good a father as Finn but I realized I wasn't. Just because I hung around and continued to pester you when you told me to stay away didn't make me a good dad. Then when you told me you wanted me in her life, I couldn't do it. All I was able to do was prove to you that I was the wrong guy and that I wasn't the dad Beth deserves. You only shut me out for the first few months of our daughter's life Quinn, I chose to skip years. It was unfair of me to leave you to raise a baby by yourself at 16. I should have at least called or sent money or done anything but I didn't. You shouldn't be apologizing to me Quinn; I should be apologizing to you and to our daughter for missing the first seven years of her life."

Quinn looked up and directly into Puck's eyes. She had never heard him be so apologetic and regretful since the day he convinced her to keep the baby. She would never forget those words and what he told her. If she wasn't still so hung up on Finn she thought that maybe just maybe her and Puck could make it work. They had a daughter together, Quinn thought and maybe she owed it to Beth to try to give her a family with her dad.

Quinn was interrupted from her thoughts when Bentley started to cry. Puck tried to soothe her but she continued to cry. Quinn offered to take her and Puck complied. He handed Bentley to Quinn and she held the little girl until she went back to sleep.

"You're a great mom," Puck said as he watched Quinn with the baby. "This must have been what it was like with Beth when she was this age. I can't believe I missed this."

Quinn watched as Puck wiped a few tears from his eyes and then continued.

"We could have been like this," he said as he composed himself. "This could have been us."

"What do you mean Puck?" Quinn asked although she already knew exactly what he was referring to.

"You, me and Beth," Puck clarified. "We could have been a family. We could have been happy. We could have made it work."

"I know," Quinn said much to Puck's surprise. "For the past six years I've thought about what things could have been like if I just let you be Beth's father from the beginning. I ran the scenarios through my head several times Puck, believe me. We could have made it work as a family but not as a couple. I love you Puck but not in the same way I love Finn."

Puck was devastated by Quinn's comments but he refused to give up. "That's not true Quinn. We could have been a couple and a pretty damn good one at that," Puck said. "Can you look me in the eyes and tell me that you never had any feelings for me whatsoever?"

"It was never those kinds of feelings Puck," Quinn said. "We hated each other before that night and you never really loved me. You just loved me because of our daughter."

Puck was hurt by the fact that Quinn didn't believe he loved her. "That is not true Quinn," Puck said as he looked into her eyes. "Yeah I'll admit we hated each other but having a baby changed everything. I may have only fallen in love with you because of Beth but I still fell in love with you nonetheless. I can prove it."

Puck leaned over and kissed Quinn on the lips. She was stunned but didn't pull away. The kiss continued for about thirty seconds before Quinn finally forced herself to pull away.

"Puck, we can't do this," she said, "I'm with Finn."

"That didn't stop us before," Puck said before placing another kiss on her lips. This one was much shorter as Quinn pulled away immediately.

"I can't do this to Finn not again," Quinn said to Puck. "He is your best friend so you can't do this to him either. We can't hurt him."

Puck realized that kissing Quinn was wrong but for some reason it didn't feel wrong. He promised himself he would never hurt Finn again but this thing with Quinn, he felt like it was right and that he had something with her Finn didn't and that was their daughter.

"I'll stop if you tell me you don't feel anything," Puck said before kissing Quinn again.

"Puck, we can't do this," she said as she felt his lips brush against hers again. Every time she said no she felt her heart saying yes. Each kiss was harder and harder to pull away from.

"Puck please," she said as he kissed her again.

"Tell me you don't feel it too and I'll stop. I'll never try to do this again," he said after kissing her one last time. When their lips finally parted she told him the words he wanted to hear.

"I can't," she said. "I can't tell you I don't feel anything because I do. I was convinced of my feelings for Finn but now I don't know. Damn it Puck, why did you have to do this to me. Why do you make me want you so much?"

She kissed him and let her hands run down his neck. He stroked her hair. She felt her hands resting on his face and then as she continued to kiss him she remembered the sleeping baby in her arms and suddenly she had to pull away.

"This isn't right Puck," she said before taking Bentley upstairs and putting her to bed. She waited upstairs for a few minutes to compose herself. She thought about what almost happened and knew that she couldn't do it again. She loved Finn and after all that he did for her and her daughter she couldn't cheat on him.

When she came back downstairs Puck was prepared to continue. She sat back on the couch and he leaned over the kiss her again but this time she stopped it.

"I'm moving in with Finn," she said as she felt his lips brush up against hers. "Beth and I are moving in with Finn."

Puck pulled away and got up off of the couch. He started to walk to the kitchen but stopped when he heard Quinn's voice.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" she said as she appeared right behind him.

"What do you want me to say?" he asked her. "Do you want me to say that I think it is a great idea? Do you want me to say that I am happy for you? I won't say that because I'm not and I don't think it is a good idea. Quinn, I just got her back. How can you take her away from me again?"

"No one is taking her away from you Puck," Quinn said as she tried to calm Puck down.

"Oh okay sure," he responded angrily. "You are going to take my daughter and go play house with Finn. Once again he is what is keeping me from my little girl because once again you are choosing him over me. After what happened tonight how can you go back to Finn? Quinn, we could be a family. You and me and Beth that is all we need. I want you two to move in with me. We can make this work."

"I can't Puck," Quinn said through tears. She hated that she was hurting Puck again. "I love Finn. I want to be with him. I swear to you he won't take your place in our daughter's life. You will always be Beth's father and no one will take that place in her life except you."

"You wanted Finn before, how do I know you won't want him to be Beth's daddy again?" Puck asked as sincerely as he could. "I can't lose my little girl again and I don't want to lose you either. I love you Quinn and I know you love me too."

Puck leaned in to kiss Quinn again but stopped when he heard the keys jingle in the door.

"Finn can't know about this," Quinn said as she grabbed Puck's hands. "Please, don't say a word."

"I thought this time there weren't going to be any secrets," he said as he released his hands from hers and sat back down on the couch.

"Please Puck," Quinn begged him as she sat down on the couch leaving space between them.

"Fine," Puck said still angry at everything that happened, "but this discussion is not over. We still need to talk about where our daughter is going to live."

"Thank you," Quinn said right before her daughter and Ian raced through the door.

"Mama! Papa!" Beth screamed as she sat down in between her parents.

"I'm so glad you are home sweetie," Quinn said as she put her arms around her daughter.

Finn walked in next and sat next to Quinn. He kissed her on the lips and then handed her a cone.

"Your favorite if I am still correct?" Finn said as he gave Quinn a cone with mint chocolate chip ice cream.

"Still correct," Quinn said as she took the cone and kissed her on again – off again currently on again boyfriend.

"I got one for you too daddy," Beth said as she handed him another mint chocolate chip ice cream. "You, me and mommy all have the same favorite."

"I guess we do," Puck said as he shot a quick look at Quinn. "Just like the perfect family," he added as he smiled at his daughter and gave her a hug.

**A/N: I didn't spell check this chapter so I hope there weren't too many spelling/grammatical errors**


	27. Getting What We Want

**A/N: Okay so I just realized that this story only had one more chapter remaining! I feel like I made you all wait long enough, so here is the last chapter. Please review and let me know what you guys think of the story and if I should continue. When you read it, you probably won't be satisfied with the "end" so if you just hang on and give me a chance to figure out if I am happy with what I am working on, I think the so-called ending won't be much of an ending at all…**

Finn and Quinn stayed the night at Rachel's and then left for Kurt's as they had planned. Beth was so excited to spend time with her mom and her Uncle Kurt that she didn't seem to mind leaving her dad for a little bit.

"Come on Beth," Finn said as he grabbed her suitcase. "Come help me pack the car."

The little girl obliged but not before she gave both Puck and Rachel big hugs.

"Can you and Ian come visit us in Ohio, Auntie Rachel?" Beth asked.

Quinn wasn't exactly happy that her daughter was calling Rachel her aunt but she did owe her for helping out with Beth when Quinn was in the hospital.

"As soon as we can sweetheart," Rachel said. "Maybe this summer if it is okay with mommy."

Quinn noticed Rachel look at her for approval. She nodded and Beth asked Quinn.

"Mommy is it okay if Auntie Rachel visits us this summer with Ian and Bentley?" Beth asked her mom sweetly.

"We'll see sweetie," Quinn said not wanting to have to say yes just yet. "Aunt Rachel is probably very busy besides," Quinn paused realizing she hadn't told Beth about their living arrangements yet, "I think we should ask Uncle Finn if it is okay with him because we will be living in his house this summer."

Beth's eyes lit up immediately. "We're going to be living with Uncle Finn?" she asked excitedly. "I can't wait, it is going to be so much fun and," Beth paused as she looked at Puck standing in the corner. She could tell that he looked sad. Beth loved Finn but what she really wanted was for her mother and father to be back together and for the three of them to live together as a family.

"What about daddy?" Beth asked as she resumed talking. "Where is he going to go?"

This was exactly what Quinn was dreading. She could tell instantly that her daughter wanted her to get back with Puck but she didn't know how to break it to her.

"Daddy is going to live at his house Beth," Quinn told her daughter. "He will come visit and you can see him whenever you want, I promise."

Beth looked at her dad and ran up and gave him a hug. She whispered in his ear.

"Don't be sad, daddy," she whispered. "I'm going to see you all of the time I promise. I'll make mommy love you again too so we can be a family, okay."

Puck smiled and hugged his daughter back as tightly as he could. "I love you Beth," he said, "and I promise I will visit every single day. We can still be a family even though mommy and I aren't together okay sweetie."

Beth seemed to be satisfied with that answer. She waved goodbye to her dad and Rachel and gave Ian a hug before skipping out to the car to help Finn pack.

"Thank you so much for letting us stay here and for helping Puck with Beth and for giving my daughter her father back, I really appreciate it," Quinn said. She couldn't believe she was thanking Rachel Berry for anything let alone taking car of her daughter.

"It was no trouble at all Quinn," Rachel said. "I was happy to help in all aspects. I'm so glad Noah is back in her life and as for taking care of her; it really was the least I could do. She is such a sweet girl, definitely the best of you and Noah."

"Thanks," Quinn muttered. "We aren't perfect but Beth is the best thing the two of us have ever done. She really is my angel."

"I couldn't agree more," Rachel said as she pointed to her son sleeping in her arms. "Ian and Bentley are the best things I have ever done. I love those kids more than life itself. I'd do anything for them and Quinn; I'd do anything for Beth too. I know you and I were never exactly friends and that we shared more boys than we actually dated but I am good friends with Noah and with Finn again and I'd really like it if we could be friends too. At the very least, I hope that we can be acquaintances for the sake of the boys and the kids. Ian absolutely adores Beth and it doesn't surprise me because she really is a lovely little girl."

"Rachel, I'd be lying if I said that I didn't hate you when we were in high school," Quinn admitted. "There was just something about you and maybe the fact that you got Finn that made me not like you. I would never do anything to hurt my daughter though and since she seems to love you and your kids, then for her sake I think I can try. I also understand that Puck and Finn still consider you a good friend and I really trust their judgment. They must have seen something I didn't but if you are a friend of theirs, well consider yourself a friend of mine."

Quinn smiled as Rachel gave her a hug. She hadn't really hated Rachel Berry since high school. Even when Rachel and Finn started dating again senior year, she was past all of the drama and just kind of let them be. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't happy when she heard they broke up though. Despite it all however, she realized that she couldn't hate Rachel. Rachel may have told Finn the truth about Beth and sleeping with Puck but it was something that Quinn would have had to have done eventually. She actually kind of admired Rachel for being able to do what she couldn't; even though she knew that her motives were clearly just to get Finn.

Quinn had grown up since high school and she realized Rachel had too. Quinn also couldn't help to relish in the fact that she had won. She had Finn and Puck both wanting to be with her. She couldn't hate Rachel she reasoned, because she had won.

A few minutes passed before Quinn and Puck were once again alone. Finn and Beth were still packing the car and Rachel had gone upstairs to tend to Bentley. Ian was in the other room playing.

"So I guess this is it then," Puck said as he moved from the corner to stand right in front of Quinn.

"Yes it is," Quinn said as she stepped back to increase the distance between her and her baby's father.

"I'll be in New York for about another week," Puck clarified. "After that I am coming home and you and I have some stuff to talk about."

"We are done talking Puck," Quinn said. "Beth and I are moving in with Finn and you can't change that."

"I could tell him what happened last night," Puck said smugly. "I'm sure if he knew you cheated on him again, he would dump you in a hot second. I wouldn't though Quinn, I would take care of you and Beth forever if you'd let me."

He moved toward Quinn and grabbed her hands. She pulled away.

"I can't do this Puck," she said. "I'm sorry but I made my decision and I chose Finn."

"Fine," Puck said as he moved back to his corner. "Just know this isn't over. You can't take my daughter away from me and if you want to live with Finn, fine. Just know I'm going to sue for joint custody if you do. You kept me from my daughter once and I'll be damned if you do it again."

Quinn was stunned. She never thought that Puck would be so harsh. He must have really been hurt by her choice she decided. Otherwise, he should know better than to try to threaten her with their daughter.

"The fact that you would do that really makes me question the person I thought you became," Quinn said. "Puck it has been nearly four years since the last time I saw you and that was when both of us were still in high school. I don't know anything about who you are now but I thought you were a good guy. You were always a good guy deep down even though you rarely showed it. I loved you for that. When I saw your sweet side when I was pregnant, I swear it felt like you were a totally different person. I'm sorry I didn't let you see Beth for the first few months of her life and maybe that made your nice side go away but I never thought you would use our daughter to force me to make a decision. If you want to sue in order to have legal papers on your side that don't allow me to take Beth then fine do that, but you can't keep me from moving in with Finn."

"You don't know him either," Puck said as Quinn headed for the door. "Yeah I'm a different person than I was in high school but so are you and so is Finn. You haven't seen him in the same amount of time you've seen me. It sucks what you did not letting me see Beth but it sucks even more that you never wanted me to be her father in the first place. What is worse is that I stayed away for so long. Look I know you chose Finn and it is whatever because I promised not to hurt him again. I'm not going to try to win you back but when it comes to our daughter, I'm not going to be kept away from her."

Puck saw the look of sadness and even fright in Quinn's eyes when he talked about taking Beth away from her. Even though it was joint custody, Beth was everything to Quinn and she couldn't handle having to lose time with her. Puck noticed this look and he knew her weakness. He couldn't take Beth from Quinn. She raised a beautiful little girl no thanks to him and despite it all he would always love her and be grateful to her for that.

"Look I'm not going to sue for custody of any kind," Puck reassured Quinn who showed a brief smile. Damn was she beautiful when she smiled he thought.

"I could never take Beth away from you," he continued. "You raised a beautiful and perfect little girl, no thanks to me and I'll always be thankful to you for that. Without you, I know our daughter would not be the perfect little princess she is. You are a great mom Quinn; maybe the best mom ever and I love you for that. I love you for a lot of other things but mostly because you gave me Beth. You are the mother of my daughter and that connection; well nothing can ever take that away. I really wish we could be together but I'll accept the fact that we can't. I know you and Finn wouldn't take Beth away from me so I guess I'm just going to have to try to be happy for you. I'll always love you though Quinn. I'm just sorry it took me this long to realize."

Quinn approached Puck and gave him a big hug. "Now that is the Noah Puckerman that I am proud to say is my baby's father," Quinn said. "You are welcome to come see Beth whenever you want. She loves you and I do too. I'm sorry for never giving you a chance but I'm glad you are here now."

Quinn grabbed her bag and headed outside. "Goodbye Puck," she said. "Come home soon."

"Goodbye Quinn," Puck responded. "Take care of our little girl."

Quinn smiled and then walked out of the house. Finn saw her and helped her into the car as Puck looked on. He watched as his daughter, best friend and the woman he loved drove away.

"You miss her already don't you Noah," Rachel said as she came back downstairs.

"It's only for a week or so then I'll get to see my daughter," Puck said.

"I know that Noah but I meant Quinn," Rachel clarified. "I caught some of your conversation and I know how much you love her and miss her."

"It's whatever at this point," Puck said as he walked into the kitchen followed by Rachel. "I already told both her and Finn that I wouldn't screw this up. They are together now and as much as I hate it, I'm not going to try to win her back. I can't do that to Finn not again."

"It's going to be okay Noah," Rachel said as she rubbed his back. "I know you love Quinn but I think it is really nice what you are doing by letting her be happy. Part of you has to know it has always been Finn and Quinn. Even I know that. When he was with me I could always feel that he still loved her but that he just couldn't find a way to forgive her. I guess he has forgiven her now and found what he needed to be able to be with her and I am happy for him. We broke up a long time ago and even though I'll always love him and you'll always love her, we just have to let them be happy."

"I just wish they didn't have to be happy together," Puck admitted to his friend. "She is moving in with him and taking Beth with her. She gets the happy ending she always wanted with her, Finn and my little girl. I wanted that to be me Rachel. I wanted her to have the happy ending with me. We could have been a family but now, well now I feel like once again her choosing Finn over me is going to affect my relationship with my daughter. I love Finn and all but he isn't Beth's dad, I am. I'm just afraid that with them living together, Finn is going to take my place in my daughter's life."

"The only way that would happen Noah is if you let it," Rachel reassured him. "Just because you and Quinn aren't together doesn't mean that you two and Beth aren't a family because you are. You are a great father and Quinn knows that. She wants you in Beth's life and I'm sure nothing will ever change that. You may just have to accept that Finn could be her stepfather one day. You'll always be her real father but Quinn and Finn could get married and he is definitely going to be a presence in your daughter's life."

Puck had thought about this prospect before but he never expected it to be a reality. "I know, he could be Beth's stepfather," Puck said. "As much as I love Finn and really do want him to be in Beth's life, I want him to do so as her uncle not her stepfather."

Puck paused for a second before approaching Rachel with the same thing he mentioned before.

"It doesn't have to be that way though Rach and you know it," Puck said. "We both can get our happy ending. We both can be with the people we love and with our children as a family. You have the power to make that happen. Just tell Finn the truth about Ian and we can both have what we want. Quinn, Beth and I and you, Finn, Ian and Bentley can be families. We can have what we want Rach, we can make this work."

"Absolutely not Noah," Rachel said without even thinking about his proposition. "I already told you, I'm not going to use my son to mess with Finn's life. It isn't right. I know you want to be with Quinn and part of me wants to be with Finn but I can't just drop this bomb on him, not now."

Puck could sense the hint of doubt in Rachel's voice. He used this as an opportunity to approach her with the prospect again.

"Okay Rach," he countered. "If you don't do it for me to be with Quinn and you to be with Finn at least do it for your son and for Finn. Finn deserves to know that he is a father. You know he would be there for you and Ian if he found out. He deserves to know and you know it."

"Ian thinks Brennan is his father," Rachel said.

"And Brennan isn't coming back," Puck added. "Your son needs a dad. He needs his dad and Finn has the right to know that he has a son."

Rachel didn't say anything at first because she knew Noah was right. She knew it was bad timing but she also knew that he would eventually find out and it would be better if he found out sooner than later so that he wouldn't miss anymore of his son's life.

"Look Rach, I know what it is like to miss years of your child's life," Puck said. "Don't make Finn miss anymore time than he already has."

"As much as I hate to admit it," Rachel began, "I know you are right. I know what your motives are but regardless Finn does have a right to know. I know how much you regret missing Beth's childhood and I hate that Finn has missed some of Ian's. I'll tell him Noah I promise but you have to let me do it on my own time."

"Fair enough," Puck said, "but I think sooner is better than later."

"Fair enough," Rachel said as she smiled at her former lover. "Fair enough."

**A/N: Again I didn't spell check so I hope it isn't too bad. Also, thanks so much for all of your support and love throughout this story. Hope you guys liked it and hope you stay tune because unlike my other story, I actually do have a sequel for this mostly written and about to be up and running. I just need to fine tune a few things, keep what I like and hopefully, optimistically, I will have this up and ready to go before April. Thanks! Love you all for loving this story!**


	28. Closing Remarks: Read Before Sequel

**Okay guys, so first off I just wanted to send out another thank you to all of you who read the story and reviewed. I appreciate it so so much and you guys are amazing!**

**Now, there is something I want to address.**

**Over the course of this story I have gotten mixed reviews. Some people love it, some not so much and that's okay. I understand that not everybody is going to like it and I'm glad those you didn't like it, stuck through to the end to get some closure even if it wasn't in the form you wanted.**

**Part of the unhappiness may have been my fault. I tagged this as a Finn/Quinn story but in the summary I put that multiple pairings will occur. I probably shouldn't have called this a Finn/Quinn story because I know a lot of you came in expecting Finn/Quinn. Although they did end up together, I know some of you were displeased with what happened in the second to last chapter or the fact that Finn and not Puck was the father of Rachel's baby. I apologize, but that is why I tried to explain in the summary. I probably should have actually put the words: multiple pairings and that is my fault.**

**So going forward I am going to tell you all this:**

**A sequel to this story has already been written and a third installment is in the works. The sequel takes place another five years in the future and a variety of I guess I'll call them "things" have happened in that time that leave our current couple Finn and Quinn and our not-so couple Puck and Rachel in different places as far as relationships go. A lot of the action and behavior of the characters in the sequel may not be what you like or expect. If that is the case, don't read the sequel. I can also tell you all in advance that although the sequel does pair Finn with Quinn, that it is not heavily focused on them. They have a few sweet moments and their story kind of guides the action but the sequel deals with development and continuing stories from what has happened in the five years between this story and the sequel. That said and an upfront warning, there is a lot of Quickish and Finchelish stuff. Fuinn will be involved and will be pivotal to the story but maybe not in the way Fuinn fans want. **

**So upfront I'm letting you know, part two will be pegged as a Puck/Quinn story and if three goes up it will be pegged as a Quinn, possibly Finn/Quinn and if I write that far and if you all stick along for the ride, part four and the final part will be pegged as Finn/Quinn to give the closure this story did not. **

**I'd love for all of you to read it but I understand if you choose not to. I also apologize if I misled you in anyway about what this story would be about. I appreciate all of the reviews and love to hear your opinions on who should be with whom. What I don't appreciate is being told the story is bad or sucks. Look, I understand you may not like it and I have no problem with constructive criticism, so if you don't like the story, don't tell me it sucks, tell me why you don't like it and maybe if it is something regarding how I am writing, I can fix it.**

**Okay so I'm rambling but just one last I promise. After the second to last chapter, I know that some of you were displeased as how I wrote Quinn. So in answer to those reviews this was my rationale behind her being confused and kissing Puck.**

_I take the approach that even though Quinn and Finn broke up twice and he broke her heart, that he was her first love and that part of her would always love him. Same goes for him. If I wrote glee, Finn would always have a soft spot for Quinn and he would always love her, because I think first loves work that way. I also think that since Finn and Rachel broke up in my little story, that he would be thinking a lot more about what he threw away with Quinn._

_When Finn found Quinn in the car and knew it was her, his heart broke as would anybody that saw their first love barely alive. Near-death experiences and accidents can make people realize what they have been missing out on or feelings they long since buried. Although, I did point out at the beginning that Finn still loved both Rachel and Quinn, or if I didn't I meant to. Anyway, seeing her in the coma made him realize that he still loved her and wanted to be with her maybe because that would be his last chance to do so. At least that's how I wrote it as if I were in his head and making his decisions._

_As for Puck, he left Quinn and their baby after months of realizing that she didn't want to be with him. I can understand why many of you didn't like how I portrayed him there by leaving but it had to be done so the rest of the story could run its course. Also, think about it if you were in his place. She is telling you that she doesn't want you, that you can't see the baby, that she wishes that baby wasn't yours in the first place, not everyone would walk away, but some people especially those with the demeanor of Puck, probably would.  
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_He always loved Quinn and never stopped even after he left and she still had feelings for him too which was pointed out in the ambulance scene. Quinn still loved Finn but with Puck, they were more of unresolved feelings and not soulmate type of feelings. Well, when they saw each other again and how Beth fit in with both of her parents, those unresolved feelings crept up. Quinn said adamantly that she wanted to be with Finn but her and Puck have a baby together and that bond just doesn't disappear. Also, and it will be later explained in the sequel, Quinn's always had feelings for Puck but she kept denying them._

_This may not be super realistic but I tried to write the characters as closely to their glee personalities as I could with a few tweaks to fit them into this story. That said, each of our four main characters is in love with or at least loves two people and when you are in love with two people, things can get complicated, especially when there are kids involved._

**Hope that clears it up a little.**

**Okay now I'm done. Stay tuned in the next couple of weeks for Five Years: The Sequel!**


	29. Five Years Part II  Coming Now!

Hey everyone, I'm baaaacccckkkk!

So first off let me apologize for keeping you hanging with this story for however months it's been. I really have no excuse because I have most of it written. The problem was however that there parts I didn't like when I was re-reading it/ working on the third book in this series as it were. I'm deciding now however that I'm just going to leave it as is and work with whatever I wrote long ago.

I also waited because I considering writing some storyline to explain what happens in between book one and two.

There's a lot of back and forth in this story in terms of couples relationships, in between stuff that happened from the end of Five Years I to Five Years II. This story takes place, as you may have guessed, five years after the end of the first one. So where we left it is Puck and Rachel's plan to get their significant others back. In the five years in between, did this happen? Did Rachel tell Finn about Ian? What happened with Quinn and Finn? Did they stay together? Kids? Marriages? Divorces?

You'll have to read and find out!

So before I post the second book, here is a preview of the first chapter of Five Years II. Read and enjoy!

"Noah, can you get the kids for dinner?" Rachel asked her husband.

"Sure babe," Puck said as he went upstairs. He returned only moments later with Ian and Bentley following closely behind.

It had been five years since Rachel considering telling Finn about Ian, who was now nine years old. It had been five years and nothing had happened. Rachel and Puck had this plan to tell Finn the truth so that they could get Finn and Quinn to break up and that Rachel would get Finn and Puck would get Quinn. On so many occasions Rachel came close to telling Finn but ultimately she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Finn and Quinn had their problems but they now had two year old twins and Rachel ended up pregnant with Puck's baby as well. She still loved Finn but she had a family with Puck and she loved him too. Besides, she couldn't break up Finn's family. He was happy and even though he deserved to know, Rachel knew it was in everyone's best interests to keep it all a secret, well everyone except the very inquisitive Ian who had decided he needed to know the truth about his father.

"Hey mom, can I ask you a question?" Ian asked as he sat at the table waiting for his dinner.

"Of course honey, what's on your mind?" Rachel asked as she placed a plate of mac and cheese in front of Ian.

"When is Brennan coming home?" the boy asked.

"Excuse me?" Rachel asked, almost spitting out her own dinner.

"I miss my dad," Ian said as he pushed some food around on his plate.

"Oh okay," Rachel sighed as she tried to find the right words. Ian had been asking a lot lately about his father and Rachel had no idea what to tell him. Puck always came in to her rescue but this time it wasn't going to happen. She looked at Puck who just nodded, indicating to Rachel that it was finally time for Ian to know the truth. Rachel sighed. She knew Puck was right but she wasn't ready, she couldn't. All she could think about was her little boy on the way and Finn and Quinn's twins. He couldn't know. Not now, not ever.

"Brennan has been really busy with work but I will make sure he calls you soon," Rachel said.

"Oh okay," Ian sighed just like his mom. "It is just I haven't seen him in two years, since he came back for Bentley's birthday and I miss him."

"I understand baby," Rachel said as she hugged her son. "You know that Brennan isn't your dad though right?"

"Yeah I know but I still love him and miss him as my dad," Ian confessed. "Besides you have never told me who my actual dad is. Bentley has Brennan, the baby on the way has Puck, but who do I have? It isn't fair, they have dads and I don't."

"Aww honey," Rachel said as her son began to cry. It wasn't fair to him. She had to tell him the truth. Maybe Finn and Quinn could get through it. Maybe her and Puck could get through it. All she knew at this point was that her son deserved to know the truth and fortunately for her, she didn't have a choice anymore. Puck was about to make that decision for her.

"Ian, your mom and I have something to tell you," Puck said as he sat down next to his step-son.

"Noah," Rachel said as she glared at him.

"I'm sorry Rachel and I know this is yours to tell but he deserves to know the truth especially now," Puck said.

Rachel sighed again. "Fine."

Puck smiled. He was proud of her. He was also somewhat happy that he might finally get his chance with Quinn. Things had been shaky with the two of them and Finn almost left but once Quinn got pregnant with the twins, he decided to stay and from what Puck knew they were working things out. In fact from the conversations he had with Quinn, they were better than ever. At least that is what she told him.

"Mom, Puck, I'm confused," Ian said as he watched a few intense looks and a moment of silence take place between his mom and Puck.

"Ian, you have a dad and he is a great guy," Rachel began.

"Why have I never met him then?" Ian asked curiously.

"You have," Rachel said softly.

"I have?" Ian said confused.

"Yes, but he doesn't know that he is your father," Rachel continued. "Look Ian, your father and I were together in high school and a brief period in college. When I found out I was pregnant with you, your father and I were already broken up and I was dating Brennan. He knew he wasn't your dad but he stayed with me and planned on helping me raise you until he left but that is another story and not at all your or your sister's fault. Anyway, I thought it was better to keep it a secret because after college I hadn't seen your dad. That is until five years ago when he and your stepdad both came back into my life. I wanted to tell your dad the truth but he was with his old girlfriend and they were raising her daughter together. I knew I couldn't ruin their relationship and,"

"Their daughter and my sister?" Ian asked pretty sure he now knew who his father was.

"Well not biologically, but yes Quinn's daughter Beth is your step-sister," Rachel corrected.

"That means Uncle Finn is my dad?" Ian asked a little confused.

"Yes baby, your Uncle Finn is actually your dad," Rachel said as she looked at Puck.

"When did you plan on telling me, on telling him?" Ian asked angrily. He was only nine years old so he had no idea why his mom kept such a big secret from him and from Finn. He was too young to understand how complicated everything was about to get.

"She was going to tell you at the right time Ian," Puck jumped in. "You were so young and your mom just wanted to wait until you were old enough to understand and your Uncle Finn, I mean dad, well, it is hard to explain."

"I wanted to tell Finn I really did, but he was so happy with Quinn and the twins. I couldn't ruin that," Rachel said before immediately realizing what she said and wanting to take it back.

"I would ruin his life?" Ian asked with tears in his eyes.

"No baby that isn't what I meant," Rachel said apologizing. "I was just afraid he would leave your Aunt Quinn to be with me when he found out the truth and even though that was mine and Noah's original plan, I couldn't break up his family."

"So I was just a pawn in your and Puck's game?" Ian asked. "You were only going to tell dad the truth to get him back but then you changed your mind? Did you ever think it would make me happy to know the truth and maybe it would make dad happy too?"

"Ian, I am so sorry," Rachel said as she tried to comfort her son.

"I can't talk to you right now," Ian said as he ran upstairs trying to hide his tears from his mom.

"Oh Noah, what did I just do?" Rachel asked with tears in her own eyes.

"It is going to be okay babe," Puck said as he held Rachel close. "He was going to find out sooner rather than later. Just give him some time, he will cool off."

"I hope so," Rachel sobbed. "I just wish I had told him the truth before but I mean he is only nine, I didn't think he would understand."

"He is incredibly intelligent and asks a lot of questions," Puck reminded his wife.

"I just wish he could have been a bit older," Rachel admitted.

"Yeah I know," Puck added. "You know what you have to do now though?"

"I'll call him tomorrow," Rachel sighed. "Right now I just want to check on my little guy."

"Okay," Puck said. "Just remember he might need some time to process it all."

Rachel smiled. "I just have to make sure he is okay." With that she ascended the steps and headed towards Ian's room. The door was closed so she knocked. "Ian, Ian," she said before knocking again. "Open the door Ian," she tried again. Hearing no response, Rachel opened the door and fell to the ground in horror. She rushed downstairs where she gave Puck the worst news imaginable.

"Ian is gone," Rachel sobbed. "He's gone."

**Okay so I just re-read this for like the first time in a long time and realized I pretty much answered all of the above questions in the first chapter and in my natural fashion added some great drama in there too. Let me know what you guys think and be assured that the rest of the story will be up very, very soon. All of your questions about the "five years" in between will be answered!**

**Have an awesome day!**


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